Soldier silhouettes set to go on display in Wick for Armistice Day
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Soldier silhouettes from Wick's World War II pillbox museum are to take pride of place in the town during the annual remembrance commemorations.
Despite two of the life-size silhouettes going AWOL in October, there are still plenty to be distributed around Wick in time for Armistice Day.
The soldiers, representing Marines and Seaforth Highlanders, were made from plywood by Denny Swanson, who leads the pillbox project He got the idea after a visit to a great-granddaughter in Insch where he saw similar installations at the war memorial hospital there.
The former serviceman only started making them this year and put them up at the pillbox at one of the opening days, where they made a very striking image. Denny said: "Everybody took photos of them and were delighted with them."
With materials being more difficult to obtain at the moment, he explained that fortunately he was able to get plywood given to him by local contractors. Denny now has around 17 silhouettes in his collection including two new sailors and hopes to soon get a template for an airman.
"I hope to get quite a few scattered around the town to make it look like Armistice Day," he added.
It is planned for silhouettes to be put up at the hospital as well as Wick St Fergus Church, the garden beside the town hall and a number of shopkeepers in the town have also asked to have one to put on display.
The pillbox museum is now closed for the winter and will reopen next spring. Denny said: "The pillbox volunteers want to thank everybody for their contributions."
Among the new additions to the museum when it reopens will be another massive shell like the one already exhibited. It was discovered nearby and Navy divers took it on to the shore.
As the shell weighs so much it will take a good number of volunteers to help organise it being manoeuvred up to the museum.
Related article: Soldier silhouettes stand guard at Wick pillbox museum open day
