Freddie Gilroy and the Belsen Stragglers

The sculpture was installed on Royal Albert Drive, Scarborough in a position overlooking the town's North Bay in November 2011. The sculpture proved popular and a local appeal was set up to raise £50,000 to purchase the sculpture for the town. In December a local resident, Maureen Robinson donated £50,000 to the appeal, from her life savings. The sculpture is now owned by Scarborough Borough Council and is considered a local landmark. Due to the Belsen connection and for occurring on the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day an anti-Semitic motive was considered possible. The paint was removed by a council team on the day after the attack. Later in 2012 an explanatory plaque was added nearby. It is…

Gilroy and the bench are sculpted at twice lifescale, making the figure almost 3.5 m in length. The sculpture, fabricated of weathering Corten steel, took artist Lonsdale three months to make. Lonsdale created the sculpture as a commercial piece but also as a memorial to Gilroy and soldiers in general. Gilroy occupies one seat on the bench which, despite its height, offers visitors an opportunity to sit next to him. A plaque is placed in the front centre of the bench, in common with memorial benches elsewhere on the seafront. The term "Belsen stragglers" is a phrase used at the time of the liberation to describe the survivors of the camp. The sculpture has been described as "much loved by…