Shot at Dawn memorial restored after flood damage

One of the most important memorials at the National Memorial Arboretum has reopened following extensive renovation work.

Shot At Dawn pays tribute to 309 British and Commonwealth soldiers who were executed for desertion and cowardice during World War One.

In 2006, all of those executed were formally pardoned, 90 years after they died.

The Staffordshire memorial was installed in 2001, but the 309 wooden stakes representing the soldiers needed replacing after repeated flooding, the arboretum said.

The stakes have been replaced with posts made from durable, recycled material, and the site's drainage has also been improved, as the memorial sits near to the River Tame.

A public fundraising appeal towards the work attracted more than 900 donations, and almost 200 volunteers from businesses nationwide were involved in the project, arboretum bosses said.

The memorial is situated on the eastern edge of the 150-acre site, making it the first to be touched by the sun’s rays at dawn.

It features a statue of a young, blindfolded soldier, with six conifer trees in front to represent a firing squad, and 309 stakes behind, bearing the names of those who were executed.

The refurbishment work and a new interpretation board means the soldiers' story will be preserved for future generations, the arboretum added.

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