Not only is 2014 the centenary of the commencement of hostilities of the First World War, but it is also the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings, which are often thought to be 'the beginning of the end' of the Second World War. As part of its commemoration of the women and men who served in the conflict and who made the Normandy Landings, the Imperial War Museum is hosting a photographic exhibition of portraits of some of the last surviving British veterans of the campaign. D-Day, the Last of the Liberators is an exhibition of 15 portraits of men and women who participated in the Normandy Landings, taken 70 years since. These photos saw their return to the places they most closely associate with the campaign: where they were wounded or saw comrades fall; where they experienced quirks of fate or chance; or where their lives were shaped.
The Last Of The Liberators at IWM Duxford from Lastoftheliberators on Vimeo.
The photos were taken by Robin Savage, whose work is more often linked to actors, but he's always held a fascination for the Second World War, and the Normandy Landings especially. This culminated in his personal project to honour those who served. 'Being in the company of such extraordinary people has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life and I am honoured that many of them have become friends.'
The exhibition, just one part of the museum's D-Day remembrance programme, runs until the end of the year. Entry is included in the price of admission to the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, and under-15s are admitted for free. There are more details on the Imperial War Museum's website.