The little golden soldier, proudly standing on his plinth and holding aloft a blood red poppy, has been stolen from the entrance to Shrewsbury’s Quarry Park.
The little soldier was one of the 141 models so lovingly created by British sculptor Nic Joly, as a token of remembrance marking the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.
He had been placed at the foot of the statue of St Michael the Archangel, which is part of the War Memorial at the entrance of the Quarry.
The little soldier was intended to catch the eye of people walking past and ask them to reflect on all the lives that were lost. His colouring is also symbolic; indicating that every life lost was a golden one.
This little man stood bravely holding his poppy for just nine days until he was removed sometime between the afternoon of Sunday 16th July and Tuesday 19th July.
We can only hope that the person that removed this symbol of the thousands of lives lost will feel guilty enough to return it to it’s place of honour.