Sculpture bronzed in Chalford to be installed near White House

Sabin Howard is spending time at Pangolin Foundry in Chalford, where a team is working on his sculpture.

It will form part of a national World War One memorial outside the White House in Washington D.C, set to be unveiled in September.

Mr Howard said he aimed to make the work “incredibly human”.

The specialist team at the Pangolin Foundry has been casting and constructing the huge work of art, which is going to be 6ft (1.8m) in height and nearly 60ft long (18.2m).

Each of the 38 figures is modelled on a real service person or veteran wearing their uniform.

A Korean marine and a ranger who both lived near Mr Howard in Connecticut and experienced PTSD due to their experiences, are featured in the sculpture, which has taken a decade to complete.

“The expression on their faces – you can’t get more real than that,” Mr Howard said.

“I felt that it was very, very important to make a sculpture that’s incredibly human and references the people that it actually holds sacred.”

Mr. Howard’s sculpture, as seen here in maquette form, will be almost 60ft in length by the time it is finished. (BBC Photo)

The 25-tonne memorial piece tells the story of a soldier’s journey and transformation as he leaves home, goes to battle and then returns.

Mr Howard said: “The first figure you see on the wall is the daughter and this is not by accident, but the very last figure you see on the return home is the daughter as well.

“The transformation that really comes to a point and a focus here is the dad who has been transformed by the battle scene.

“He’s confused and he is alienated and he is the only figure who stands alone, looking directly at the viewer.”