Memorial to Navy heroes

The sculpture, designed to resemble a wave, is a tribute to the British Navy who helped to liberate France in the Second World War.

It was created by former Rear Admiral Frank Grenier of Upton Scudamore and built in a warehouse at Warminster Glass.

The sculpture took two years to finish and has now taken pride of place at the Museum of Peace in Caen, Normandy.

Two metres high and three metres wide, the sculpture, called Naval Memorial in the British Garden, will be placed alongside French and American war monuments.

The Queen will officially unveil the memorial on June 5, a day before the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Mr Grenier said: "We didn't want the sculpture to just be three large blocks of glass because it would end up looking like a tombstone. There are too many tombstones already in Normandy.

"So we wanted something more artistic and it fits in with the British Garden really well.

"For most of the day the sun shines through the glass. The blueness of the glass and the sunshine works really well with the wave."

Mr Grenier spent 37 years in the Navy and has been sculpting since he left the forces in 1990.

He took two months to engrave the sculpture, which includes depictions of navy boats.

He said: "I am very proud of the sculpture because we have created something which is in remembrance but artistic.

"Whether the Queen does open it or not does not really bother me too much, whoever opens it will be there for half-an-hour, but the sculpture will remain for many years to come."

Staff at Warminster Glass provided the

materials to build the sculpture after it was

commissioned in 2001.

Richard Stainer, managing director at Warminster Glass on Woodcock Road Industrial Estate, said: "My father was in Lancaster bombers, it's a privilege in that respect to do something like this that people will be able to see for years to come."

The sculpture arrived in Normandy in November 2003 and has been prepared ahead of this summer's celebrations.