Depicting Sunderland POW Len Gibson, who passed away aged 101 in 2021 and inspired so many in his long life, the piece was unveiled at a moving ceremony at South Shields Town Hall.
9. The greatest of sacrifices
80 years after Imperial Japan surrendered, South Shields joined national services to remember all those who made the greatest sacrifice for their country. | National World
10. An act of humanity in the face of inhumane treatment
Sculptor Ray said: “Brian asked me to come up with some ideas for a memorial statue, so I read the book Len wrote and there was one story that really stood out. Len had made a make-shift guitar to entertain his friends while he was captured, inside that guitar was a very small amount of money he had made. Just as he was about to get on a plane after liberation, Len gave the guitar with the money inside to a Thai child; to me that’s special. After all that time of being purely tortured and all the discomfort and aggression, just to give that gift before he came home was such a nice touch and really tells the story of the man.” | National World