A group of staff from Bartlett Tree Experts visited France in July 2024 to help celebrate the 80^th anniversary of D-Day.

This photo is from the 80th Anniversary ceremony at Hill 112 in Normandy, France. In it are, from left, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Megan Kacenski, Patrick Franklin, Jim Ingram and Oliver Micallef, all with Bartlett Tree Experts. Photo courtesy of Bartlett Tree Experts.

Bartlett’s Megan Kacenski, Patrick Franklin, Jim Ingram and Oliver Micallef attended an 80th anniversary ceremony at Hill 112 in Normandy, France. In 2017, Bartlett Tree Experts donated and planted 112 hornbeam trees at the site, dedicating them as a memorial to those who served in the Second World War.

This memorial was spearheaded by the late Albert Figg, a WWII veteran, to raise awareness of and honor the casualties of the battles at Normandy. Hill 112 was described by the German commander Field Marshal Rommel as the most important hill in Normandy given the vantage point it provided of the surrounding area. Many lives were lost as the two sides vied to take the hill. Albert Figg was just one of the brave soldiers who participated in the fight.

The 112 trees, obtained from Barcham Trees, were donated and planted at the site in the spring of 2017 by Bartlett Tree Experts. During the dedication ceremony, the statue of an infantryman was unveiled by then HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, now Duke of Edinburgh.

Representatives from Bartlett were in attendance at the time of the dedication alongside WWII veterans, as well as Albert Figg’s children, Annette Oliver and Roy Figg. The 112 trees are planted in the shape of a Maltese cross. The infantryman statue sits in the center of the cross, between the tank and field gun, representing the formation during warfare.

“This memorial holds a special place in my heart as my father served in the U.S. army during the war,” Robert Bartlett Jr., chair and CEO of Bartlett Tree Experts, said at the time. “I feel honored to have had the opportunity to plant these trees in recognition of the courageous individuals that sacrificed their lives.”