Monument Unveiled to Britain's Unsung WWII Heroes
A powerful new monument honouring the millions of Britons who served on the home front during the Second World War was unveiled on Remembrance Sunday. The Fighting From Home statue, featuring a striking Admiralty Class anchor, now stands proudly in Cradley Heath, paying tribute to the chainmakers and industrial workers whose efforts were vital to the war effort.
Personal Inspiration Behind the Sculpture
Created by West Midlands-based sculptor Luke Perry, the 12-foot steel statue draws direct inspiration from his grandfather's wartime service. Eric Attwood, Mr Perry's grandfather, was among the countless workers in reserved occupations who supplied essential materials like 'Navy chain' to the Royal Navy rather than joining military combat.
More than 200 people gathered in the Black Country town for the emotional unveiling ceremony, with many attendees being relatives of those who worked in these crucial reserved occupations. The statue has been strategically placed in St Luke's churchyard, overlooking Corngreaves Road and Cradley Heath's High Street, in an area once known as the UK's capital of chainmaking.
Remembering the Five Million
The sculpture serves as a permanent memorial to the approximately five million workers covered by the UK's schedule of reserved occupations between 1939 and 1945. These positions prevented labour shortages in sectors essential to both the war effort and daily civilian life.
Mr Perry revealed he had wanted to create this tribute for a decade, stating: "These were men who couldn't sign up for military service as their trade was so important to the war effort. Like many men and women around here, he was a chainmaker and made 'Navy chain' during the war."
The artwork's funding came partially from the Arts Council, with additional support from Mr Perry's family factory, Solid Swivel in Cradley Heath, which donated both time and materials. Sandwell Council provided crucial advice and support throughout the project, including organising a clean-up of St Luke's churchyard ahead of the unveiling ceremony.
Speaking at the unveiling, Mr Perry emphasised the importance of preserving these stories: "I grew up alongside a lot of these men – whose names are on this piece – in Cradley Heath. They would have lived their whole lives going to Remembrance services like those today and never seeing their own role commemorated. Their stories have been forgotten. So this monument is to make sure that they are not forgotten."
The statue not only honours Mr Perry's grandfather, whose features are embodied in the steel figure, but stands as a lasting testament to all workers who fought fascism through their essential industrial labour on the home front.
