Green Howards Museum launches VC Trail in Richmond

The Green Howards Museum in Richmond has partnered with businesses around the town's Market Place for the trail, which aims to encourage awareness of D-Day amongst younger visitors.

Running throughout half-term, towards D-Day on June 6, and up until June 15, the trail tasks children with looking for replica Victoria Cross (VC) medals and photos in shop window displays.

The letters attached to some of the VCs spell out a very important Green Howards name – and the answer is hidden in the museum’s new D-Day 80 Exhibition.

Once they have found the medals and solved the mystery, there is a reward waiting for all young code crackers.

The museum's head of collections, Zoe Utley said: "Part of our mission here at The Green Howards Museum is that of continuing the legacy of the Green Howards’ role in D-Day.

"Including younger children in our outreach activities is really important to us, especially if we can provide education in a fun, relaxed way that benefits children, their adult companions and our local businesses.

"The D-Day VC Town Trail highlights a very important Green Howard who was the only soldier to be awarded the VC on D-Day. We hope that children will gain some understanding of D-Day from both the trail and a visit to the museum."

The museum’s D-Day exhibition commemorates the individual stories of some of the 1,200 Green Howards who landed on Gold Beach, in Normandy, as part of Operation Overlord on June 6, 1944.

The Green Howards Museum, at Trinity Church Square, is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm.

Plans are already underway for the D-Day anniversary on June 6, which will start with a service of remembrance at The Green Howards Memorial on Frenchgate, Richmond, at 6.30am.

There will also be a short service at 11am in Friary Gardens, supported by the Royal British Legion.