The 'There but not There' installation that has been taken up by some 4,000 communities since its original inception in 2016, returned to St John the Baptist Church in Penshurst where it began, as part of the church's Remembrance commemorations this year.
The artist, Martin Barraud said:
'There But Not There sought to ‘take the name off the walls’ and bring the 50 Men, if only in spirit, back into their community to which they were never able to return after the First World War.
He added:
"With the world once again a troubled place, I thought it perhaps time for TBNT to return to its quiet, contemplative place in the low, sombre November light."
To reflect that sentiment, this year, a 51st figure was placed in the church, with a blank name block sitting silently towards the back of the pews, as a reflection of the many beyond the parish that have - and continue to give - their all.
Martin says he discussed the idea with a few people first, including local veterans, and it seemed people were ready to apply their own interpretation of what or who this 51st could be for, or about.
He says:
"Art, like life, moves on but as ever, we will remember them.'
The return of the installation was marked by a special evening event on Friday 8 November, at which Afghanistan veteran, retired Major Richard Streatfeild MBE, whose family have lived nearby in Chiddingstone for generations, spoke about his experiences.