‘War Memorial’ is, at present, a work in progress only. I am putting it up at this point as it is far from certain, through practical and economic reasons, that it will ever in fact become a physical reality. The piece consists of 100 framed A4 digital prints in chronological order, displayed (as illustrated ) in four rows of 25 or, more improbably, a single long row, of the hundred british soldiers killed in action in Afghanistan in 2009. The images are originally from a double page newspaper spread marking the 100th death; 100 images displayed in grid form; each image consisiting of a photograph of the soldier, name and rank, home town and regiment when, where and how he was killed, and a couple of biographical lines about the person.
Each thumbnail sized image was cut out individually and scanned into the computer at 600% enabling them to fit comfortably onto an A4 sheet. I wanted the suggestion of a floating quality to the pictures so added a drop shadow . I would like as little visual interference as possible with the framing - I dont much like clip frames so am at present thinking that they should be white but with a minimal overlap at the front. This will mean I think them being custom built. I may do an online version of some sort but would actually prefer spectators to experience the piece in real space and time.
I am publishing here the first twenty deaths in chronological order from 1st January to 7th May 2009, also a full roll call.
1. 10/01/09 Sergeant Chris Reed
2. 11/01/09 Marine Travis Macken
3. 14/01/09 Captain Tom Sawyer
4. 14/01/09 Corporal Danny Winter
5. 17/01/09 Acting Corporal Richard Robinson
6. 30/01/09 Corporal Daniel Nield
7. 14/02/09 Marine Darren Smith
8. 16/02/09 Lance Corporal Stephen Kingscott
9. 25/02/09 Corporal Tom Gaden
10. 25/02/09 Lance Corporal Paul Upton
11. 25/02/09 Rifleman Jamie Gunn
12. 25/02/09 Marine Michael Laski
13. 14/03/09 Lance Corporal Christopher Harkett
14. 15/03/09 Corporal Dean Thomas John
15. 15/03/09 Corporal Graeme Stiff
16. 28/04/09 Lance Sergeant Tobie Fasfous
17. 07/05/09 Corporal Sean Binnie
18. 07/05/09 Corporal Kumar Pun
19. 07/05/09 Sergeant Ben Ross
20. 07/05/09 Rifleman Adrian Sheldon
21. 12/05/09 Lieutenant Mark Evison
22. 14/05/09 Marine Jason Mackie
23. 22/05/09 Fusilier Petero Suesue
24. 23/05/09 Sapper Jordan Rossi
25. 27/05/09 Lance Corporal Robert Richards
26. 28/05/09 Lance Corporal Kieran Hill
27. 30/05/09 Lance Corporal Nigel Moffett
28. 30/05/09 Corporal Stephen Bolger
29. 02/06/09 Rifleman Cyrus Thatcher
30. 11/06/09 Private Robert McClaren
31. 12/06/09 Lieutenant Paul Mervis
32. 19/06/09 Major Sean Birchall
33. 01/07/09 Trooper Joshua Hammond
34. 01/07/09 Colonel Rupert Thorneloe
35. 04/07/09 Lance Corporal David Dennis
36. 04/07/09 Private Robert Laws
37. 05/07/09 Lance Corporal Dane Elson
38. 06/07/09 Captain Ben Babbington-Browne
39. 07/07/09 Trooper Christopher Whiteside
40. 09/07/09 Private John Brackpool
41. 09/07/09 Rifleman Daniel Hume
42. 10/07/09 Rifleman William Aldridge
43. 10/07/09 Rifleman James Backhouse
44. 10/07/09 Corporal Jonathan Home
45. 10/07/09 Rifleman Joe Murphy
46. 10/07/09 Rifleman Daniel Simpson
47. 10/07/09 Corporal Lee Scott
48. 16/07/09 Rifleman Ammirasi Toge
49. 19/07/09 Corporal Joseph Etchells
50. 20/07/09 Captain David Shepherd
51. 22/07/09 Guardsman Christopher King
52. 25/07/09 Bombardier Craig Hopson
53. 27/07/09 Trooper Phillip Lawrence
54. 27/07/09 Warrant Officer Class 2 Sean Upton
55. 04/08/09 Craftsman Anthony Lombardi
56. 06/08/09 Corporal Kevin Mulligan
57. 06/08/09 Lance Corporal Dale Hopkins
58. 06/08/09 Private Kyle Adams
59. 08/08/09 Private Jason George Williams
60. 13/08/09 Captain Mark Hale
61. 13/08/09 Rifleman Daniel Wild
62. 13/08/09 Lance Bombardier Matthew Haddon
63. 15/08/09 Sergeant Simon Valentine
64. 15/08/09 Private Richard Hunt
65. 16/08/09 Lance Corporal James Fullarton
66. 16/08/09 Fusilier Simon Annis
67. 16/08/09 Fusilier Louis Carter
68. 20/08/09 Sergeant Paul McAleese
69. 20/08/09 Private Jonathon Young
70. 25/08/09 Fusilier Shaun Bush
71. 29/08/09 Sergeant Lee Houltman
72. 31/08/09 Sergeant Stuart Millar
73. 31/08/09 Private Kevin Elliott
74. 02/09/09 Lance Corporal Richard Brandon
75. 03/09/09 Private Gavin Elliott
76. 09/09/09 Corporal John Harrison
77. 13/09/09 Kingsman Jason Dunn-Bridgeman
78. 16/09/09 Acting Sergeant Stuart McGrath
79. 16/09/09 Trooper Brett Hall
80. 21/09/09 Acting Sergeant Michael Lockett
81 27/09/09 Private James Prosser
82 01/10/09 Senior Aircraftsman Marcin Wojtak
83. 05/10/09 Guardsman Jamie Janes
84. 08/10/09 Lance Corporal James Hill
85. 22/10/09 Corporal James Oakland
86. 25/10/09 Corporal Thomas Mason
87. 31/10/09 Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmidt
88. 03/11/09 Warrant Officer Class 1 Darren Chant
89. 03/11/09 Sergeant Matthew Telford
90. 03/11/09 Guardsman James Major
91. 03/11/09 Corporal Steven Boote
92. 03/11/09 Cororal Nicholas Webster-Smith
93. 05/11/09 Sergeant Phillip Scott
94. 07/11/09 Rifleman Philip Allen
95. 08/11/09 Rifleman Samuel Bassett
96. 15/11/09 Rifleman Andrew Fentiman
97. 16/11/09 Corporal Loren Marlton-Thomas
98. 18/11/09 Sergeant Robert David Loughran-Dickens
99. 30/11/09 Acting Sergeant John Paxton Amer
100. 07/12/09 Lance Corporal Adam Drane
The piece stops at the hundredth death but there were in fact a further six killed during December
15th Lance Corporal David Kirkness
20th Corporal Simon Hornby
23rd Lance Corporal David Pritchard
23rd Lance Corporal Christopher Roney
28th Rifleman Aiden Howell