If you haven’t already, you must drop by and see ‘The Lucky Ones Grow Old,’ which features images of nine veterans alongside their stories of wartime service and their lives after the war. It ends this wknd on the 18th of January at the D-Day Museum.
The stunning portraits were taken by Matt Sills, a Portsmouth-based photographer, at a special event held at the museum on Monday 3 June 2024 during the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
Matt said: “On D-Day, thousands of young men made the ultimate sacrifice. The nine veterans who I have photographed were there on that day. They did their duty and they fought for freedom. They don’t think of themselves as heroes, they say the heroes are those who died. They simply consider themselves to be the lucky ones, the ones who made it home.
“80 years have passed since D-Day and each one of these men have lived every moment of it. Whilst D-Day was a hugely significant event, this exhibition is about celebrating lives since that day. When you look at these portraits, I want you to think about everything they have achieved but also take a moment to think of the ones who never had the chance. It’s the lucky ones who grow old.”
The exhibition invites you to celebrate these well-lived lives while also remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice – the ones who weren’t so fortunate.
Matt has travelled the globe creating work for some of the world’s most recognised brands, from drinks companies to Formula One teams, and has photographed many famous faces.
Alongside his passion for portraiture, Matt’s other great passion is history, particularly Second World War history. As a Portsmouth local, he has long been interested in the city’s role during the war and D-Day.
For more information on the museum, visit theddaystory.com
The exhibition marked a poignant end to a momentous year for the museum in which we commemorated D-Day’s 80th anniversary but also looks ahead to another anniversary year as 2025 marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War with VE Day 80 (8 May) and VJ Day 80 (15 August).
Make sure to pop down and take in the last of the images of ‘The Lucky Ones Grow Old’.
