Colourised photos of British Red Cross D-Day volunteers revealed

Never-before-seen colourised photographs of British Red Cross volunteers caring for D-Day troops and other soldiers during the Second World War have been released to mark the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings.

British Red Cross Museum curator Mehzebin Adam-Suter said: “These never-before-seen colourised photos from our collection vividly bring to life the incredible work done by British Red Cross volunteers during the Second World War, including D-Day.

“Meanwhile, others tirelessly worked in the UK, packing and dispatching relief parcels desperately needed during the war.”

She said: “Women were at the forefront of Red Cross relief operations following the D-Day landings, both in the UK and overseas.

She added: “Women ambulance workers played a vital role during the Second World War. Women demonstrated once again, following the First World War, that they were more than capable of carrying out jobs traditionally seen as inappropriate for women.

The wartime photographs were converted into colour using a meticulous process, according to British Red Cross designer Jo Wheeler.

She explained: “It’s a painstaking but incredibly rewarding process. When I introduced colour to the images, new details and depths started to emerge, truly bringing them to life.”

She added: “With the help of image layers and masks, I manipulated dozens of colours and hues – recreating a natural skin tone is probably the hardest part to get right.

“The colouring process required a close observation of the historic artefacts in our collection to ensure that the colours were as accurate as we could get them.”