PRESS RELEASE Southwick Giants
Photos:
Image 2980: Susan Eisenhower and Viscount Henry Montgomery receive the polished steel images of their illustrious Grandfathers from Martin Bazeley, Chairman of the Southwick Revival Committee.
4 June 2026
VISCOUNT HENRY MONTGOMERY AND SUSAN EISENHOWER RECEIVE ICONIC IMAGES OF THE ‘SOUTHWICK GIANTS’.
Viscount Henry Montgomery and Susan Eisenhower, the grandchildren of the WW2 Allied Leaders of the Supreme HQ of the Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) visited Southwick Park this week to conduct Henry’s podcast series of “In Monty’s Footsteps” charting the movements of General Bernard Montgomery in the months leading up to D-Day on 6 June 1944.
During their visit to the D-Day Wall map room in Southwick House, the Chairman of the Southwick Revival, Martin Bazeley unveiled the miniature versions of the polished steel silhouettes of their grandfathers and other senior leaders, all recently constructed locally in full size as ‘The Southwick Giants’. The larger metal figures will feature prominently on the village green at the 2026 Southwick Revival.
Martin Bazeley presented the WW2 image profiles of General Dwight D. Eisenhower and General Bernard Montgomery to the two descendants of the wartime leaders.
Martin explains: “I was inspired by the poignant ‘Standing with Giants’ installation featured on Portsdown Hill at Fort Nelson. Those military silhouettes are now installed at the WW2 Normandy Memorial in France for the D-Day Anniversary.
The Revival Committee were delighted that our generous Southwick Revival sponsors, including Lockheed Martin helped to pay for the design and construction of the figures. I was very impressed with the construction process. I watched the steel cut at the metal workshop last week and they have been finished just in time for the Southwick Revival.”
The Southwick Giants and the smaller 45cm polished steel versions of the figures were designed and constructed locally in Hayling Island by Christina Lewendon and
Richard Lucas at Northshore Metal Profiles Ltd using their creative research and design process and their precision steel cutting technology. They will have a display of their work at the Revival weekend.
On receipt of his grandfather’s image, Viscount Henry Montgomery said:
“Oh yes very good! The design has captured his likeness both in his stance and the uniform and beret detail.”
Susan Eisenhower was equally impressed by the latest project. She recalled how very much she had enjoyed her visit to the Southwick Revival for the 80th Anniversary in 2024, meeting Richard Tedder, the son of General Eisenhower’s British Deputy at SHAEF, Air Marshal Arthur Tedder. She also enjoyed meeting Will Ramsay, the grandson of Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, the Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces on D-Day.
Both Susan and Henry will travel across to Normandy at the weekend to take part in the annual D-Day commemorations at the US and British War Memorials.
Meanwhile, all systems are go for the 20 being crossed that the unsettled weather system currently being experienced as it was in 1944, will have passed to create a fine weather window for the weekend events.
To find out more and book advance tickets for the Southwick Revival visit the event website (see below) or check out the Southwick Revival Facebook or Instagram pages.
To follow in Monty’s footsteps and help support the British Normandy Memorial – visit the website at: https://www.britishnormandymemorial or visit the Facebook page.