The original seat was completed by Mike Colton in 2011 and dedicated in September that year after stainless steel name plates were installed. The seat is the shape of a Hexagram with Hexagon at the centre with six small triangles near the triangular stainless steel points. The shape is of two interlocking triangles thus forming the Star.

The pine tree at the centre of the seat came from a seed found in a cone at Natzweiler Concentration Camp in Eastern France during a visit in 2005. It was grown by Annette Colton and planted in the winter of 2008. After 13 years the Pine and Ash wood of the seat had perished.

So in 2024 we made a new one in a slightly different format using less expensive wood that was easily available and that smaller sections could be replaced if rotted, rather than replace all the seat wood.

In 2024 during the seat replacement new plaques were added honouring the women of F section Special Operations Executive and these can all be viewed via this link: –

Squadron Leader Vera Atkins Special Operations Executive.

Page Updated 26th October 2026