15-Sep-2026

1,000 STORIES AND COUNTING...

The Trust is proud to have now published 1,000 stories of the fallen, each one linked to the digital Roll of Honour record on the Memorial website. This is a significant milestone in the important work of keeping the memory of the fallen alive for future generations and helping to tell the story of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy with the experiences of those who were there.

Historical Researcher Jane Furlong has been at the helm of the project to uncover stories and shared her reflections on this achievement:

“I have been working for the Normandy Memorial Trust since 2017. I have a great uncle was killed whilst serving in the RAF in the Second World War and I spent part of my career helping to establish an archive at the Imperial War Museums to record all the war memorials in the UK. I have seen how communities remember and commemorate those who have been killed in conflict but to be on the other side, helping to create a memorial, has revealed how important they are for the families. Identifying the names was one step, but to be able to publish the stories of just some of the 22,540 who are commemorated, and put a face to their name, has been an honour and a privilege.

For some we just have their photo, taken from a press clipping, but for many others we have been sent their story. They are no longer just a name etched in stone but a husband, son, brother, uncle and aunt. The conversations I have had via email, and the willingness of families to share precious memories, letters and photos, never ceases to amaze me.

As I publish each story, they become part of my Normandy Memorial family and with each story I learn a little bit more about the personal effort and sacrifice that was made during those times. Whilst their efforts enabled the success of the Normandy campaign which led to the end of the Second World War in Europe, I hope that these stories will be read by current and future generations to serve as a reminder about the human cost of war, what we lose because of it and make people ask: “is it a price worth paying?”

I will remember them.”

One of the most recently added stories is that of Frederick Colechin (pictured above) – a Royal Navy Stoker. During the D-Day operations his landing barge was hit and he was severely injured and brought back to England. He died in a Sheffield hospital on the 26 June 1944. His story was shared by his son, John.

If you have a story of one of the 22,540 named on the Memorial, you can get in touch by email: researcher@normandymemorialtrust.org.