Plans for a permanent home for a WWI Tommy silhouette in Diss have been halted by red tape
A haunting silhouette of a First World War soldier has had its first public outing at Diss Corn Hall.
Diss Waveney Rotary Club bought the silhouette earlier this year as part of a nationwide commemoration called There But Not There, to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the conflict.
Thousands of silhouettes, small and large, called Tommies, will be placed around the country in different locations in a bid to raise money for military charities.
But the rotary club has been having its own battle trying to find a permanent location for the figure.
The club, which purchased the limited edition Tommy in February, wanted to create a permanent memorial to the fallen on land next to Morrisons’ roundabout.
But negotiations around the use of that area of land involving several parties, proved frustrating, mainly due to the presence of a gas main.
It is understood the Diss Town Council will now be using the land for a Christmas tree.
The silhouette is currently on display at the Corn Hall, where it will remain until November 10.
The national There But Not There commemoration is led by a former head of the Army, Lord Dannatt, who lives in Norfolk.
The project will see the sculptures at events across the country to mark the 100th anniversary of the Great War armistice.
On November 11, the silhouette will be moved to St Mary’s Church for an Armistice service.
It will also be at the church again on November 17 for the Rotary club’s memorial concert There but not There, which will feature the Honington Military Wives Choir and a reading of First World War poetry.
On November 19, it will return to the Corn Hall, where the Rotary club say he will possibly stay until December 5. After that, Tommy will be homeless.
“The Rotary club is yet to find him a permanent home; its ideas and suggestions to date having fallen foul of bureaucracy,” said a spokesman.
The club is now appealing for suggestions as to where the silhouette might be situated long-term.
It has set up an email address at tommyontour@outlook.com for people to send in their ideas.
Meanwhile, Diss Town Council has faced criticism over a lack of plans to mark the armistice centenary, signed between the Allies and Germany.