SECOND World War veterans have taken part in a new video project launching in York this week.
The exhibition starts at the Yorkshire Air Museum in Elvington on Tuesday (November 30).
Called the Veterans’ Trail, it is a series of interviews, recorded during the pandemic, with former airmen and soldiers, recounting their experiences of the war - from crewing an RAF bomber, to storming the beaches of Normandy, to being taken captive by the Germans.
They can be viewed by museum visitors on their smartphones, by scanning QR codes positioned at key points around the Elvington-based attraction.
They include the experience of soldiers who fought on the beaches on D-Day and witnessed first-hand the carnage and chaos, the memories of RAF aircrew who survived bombing missions over Germany, against all the odds, and the tale of one soldier who ended the war in a German prisoner of war camp near Leipzig and was forced to work down a copper mine.
The trail has been produced in collaboration with Everwitch Theatre and funded by the Two Ridings Community Foundation and consists of eleven videos in total, currently only accessible via the QR codes on display at the Yorkshire Air Museum.
Gloria Smith, wife of the late Ken Smith, who took part in the project, said “It’s a wonderful way to keep sharing these important memories with the younger generation.”
The Communications Manager at YAM, Jerry Ibbotson, said: “This is a powerful way to share the memories and experiences of these incredible men.
“We are honoured that they were able to take part in these recordings and hope that visitors will be inspired not just by their bravery and courage but also by how humble, kind and down to earth they are.”
The York Normandy Veterans Trail Videos are the outcome of the Everwitch Theatre’s “Follow in our Footsteps Reminiscence for Well Being Project” – a project to combat loneliness and isolation during the pandemic, funded by Two Ridings Community Fund. Alongside Everwitch Theatre the Veterans worked with InkBlot Films to create the video trail at the Yorkshire Air Museum.
For anyone who hasn’t come across one before, a QR (or Quick Response) code is a type of square bar-code, that can be scanned with a mobile phone or similar device and it will then take you to the exhibition videos.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel