Never-before-seen colourised photographs of British Red Cross volunteers caring for D-Day troops and other soldiers during the Second World War have been released to mark the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings.
The images help bring to life the work done by the charity’s volunteers to assist injured soldiers and help with evacuations by converting the original black and white images into colour.
“Our volunteers worked under extremely challenging conditions in Normandy, providing aid to sick and wounded soldiers and assisting with evacuations.
Ms Adam-Suter said the photographs help tell the story of the thousands of female volunteers who were involved in the wartime effort.
“Their efforts extended beyond providing lifesaving first aid and medical care to the sick and wounded soldiers; they were instrumental in boosting the morale of the men, offering comfort and a sense of normalcy amid the harsh realities of war.”
“These women were highly competent drivers, transporting and caring for the wounded, while withstanding the trauma of war. Working on the home front, overseas and elsewhere, they were actively shaping history.”
She explained: “It’s a painstaking but incredibly rewarding process. When I introduced colour to the images, new details and depths started to emerge, truly bringing them to life.”
She added: “With the help of image layers and masks, I manipulated dozens of colours and hues – recreating a natural skin tone is probably the hardest part to get right.
“The colouring process required a close observation of the historic artefacts in our collection to ensure that the colours were as accurate as we could get them.”
