The Horsa Sculpture 

Unveiled on D-Day’s 81st anniversary, The Horsa Sculpture at Harwell Science & Innovation Campus commemorates the wooden Horsa gliders that departed RAF Harwell for Normandy in June 1944. Designed by Oxfordshire artist Charlotte Holmes of Rogue Designs, the memorial honours the 6th Airborne Division, No. 38 Group RAF, and the Glider Pilot Regiment, creating an immersive space that brings their stories to life. 

The sculpture draws directly from the glider’s fuselage form, echoing the space where up to 28 servicemen would have sat in tense silence before their missions. Buckland Timber supplied bespoke curved glulam arches that form the central structure, with signature timber ribs reflecting the craftsmanship of the original glider-builders – many of whom worked in furniture workshops to cut and shape 3-ply timber fuselages. We successfully achieved a tight radius alongside a connection design that would tie in with the aesthetic aim on the project whilst providing enough stability for the free standing curves. The arches create a fuselage-inspired wooden structure that visitors can walk through, positioned alongside the existing memorial stone. 

Engraved metal ingots are set into the memorial paving, bearing eyewitness quotes and reflections from those who served. The glider pilot’s words “there’s only one way and that’s down” are woven into the experience, inviting visitors to remember not just the grand sweep of history, but the individual stories of bravery and sacrifice. 

The curved Redwood glulam elements were finished with exposed timber sealed with Sioo: X in light grey or outdoor durability and assembled on-site as a structural homage to original glider craftsmanship. Displayed in a public and accessible setting, the sculpture brings the RAF Harwell glider legacy vividly to life for campus visitors and the wider community.