Victory Over Blindness - Manchester, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 28.667 W 002° 13.883
30U E 551010 N 5925696
This statue of a number of blinded soldiers was erected to remember returning blind veterans of the First World War.
Waymark Code: WM102EE
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 02/11/2019
Views: 4
The statue is standing on the paved area outside the entrance of Piccadilly Railway station, the main railway station in Manchester.
It consists of a group of 7 soldiers in battledress in a line. Each of the soldiers has bandages over their damaged eye(s). The lead soldier is on crutches, and the others behind each have a hand on the soldier in front as a guide as the walk forward. The lead soldier has only been blinded in one eye, so still has some sight, whereas the soldiers behind have bandages over both eyes.
A nearby plaque tells the story of the statue.
Victory Over Blindness
Johanna Domke-Guyot
Remembering the returning blind veterans
of the First World War.
More than 3000 veterans lost their sight as a result of their service in
the First World War. Making their way home from the front, they began
their journey to rebuild their lives after sight loss.
In 1915 a charity was founded to support them.
Blind Veterans UK, formerly known as St. Dunstan's has continued to
support thousands more blind veterans to live independently as they
begin that same journey today.
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Blind
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Rebuilding
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Veterans
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lives after
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UK
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sight loss
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A similar plaque tells the same story in braille.