Never-before-seen colourised photos of British Red Cross D-Day volunteers revealed
To mark the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, photographs of British Red Cross volunteers caring for D-Day troops have been released.
The images of volunteers caring for soldiers during the Second World War have been restored to help bring to life the work done by the charity.
A meticulous process was involved to convert the wartime photographs to colour.
British Red Cross Museum curator Mehzebin Adam-Suter said: "Our volunteers worked under extremely challenging conditions in Normandy, providing aid to sick and wounded soldiers and assisting with evacuations.
"Meanwhile, others tirelessly worked in the UK, packing and dispatching relief parcels desperately needed during the war."
The photographs help to tell the story of the female volunteers who were "instrumental" in the wartime effort.
Ms Adam-Suter explained: "Women were at the forefront of Red Cross relief operations following the D-Day landings, both in the UK and overseas.
"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."
She added: "Women ambulance workers played a vital role during the Second World War. Women demonstrated once again, following the First World War, that they were more than capable of carrying out jobs traditionally seen as inappropriate for women.
"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."
British Red Cross designer Jo Wheeler detailed the "painstaking" meticulous process the wartime photographs have to go through to be converted into colour.
"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 explained.
The designer 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."
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