New style war obituaries for Helmand Province soldiers

In the past, the war dead were portrayed primarily as soldiers and commemorated for their strategic role within the war fulfilling their act of duty. Now they are remembered as personalities.

War has always been a rich cultural source for collective memories and: whether victorious or not, all wars involve one enduring element; casualties. In his new research on the representation of casualties of Helmand, Professor of Sociology, Anthony King argues that, ‘Social groups recurrently mourn members who have sacrificed themselves in battle for the collective good. The dead provide an emotive focus which allows communities to remember together and it is this act that is changing dramatically and reflects a wider transformation in British public culture.’

For the last two years, British forces have been fighting in Helmand Province, in Afghanistan and 128 British soldiers have been killed since November 2008, on average one British soldier per week. Just after the 90th anniversary of the end of World War One it is perhaps a good time to think about the way these casualties are being commemorated.

Professor King explains, ‘The publication of the casualty’s name, rank and regiment is now deemed insufficient and announcements have become elaborate cultural artefacts. They tend to be accompanied by a biography, a testimony usually by the soldier’s Commanding Officer, a photograph and sometimes commentary from family members.’

The report shows that the appearance of military obituaries, are a new phenomenon and has altered the relationship between the dead soldier and the public, as he becomes a personality for whom the public actively grieve. The war dead are no longer simply recalled by name, listed in newspapers and on memorials. The public now develop an imaginary relationship with them and this represents an important change from the 20th century. Today, the public become acquainted with each casualty on a personal level; they learn about their lives.

To date there have been no statues commemorating the dead of Helmand their images have become a central element of new motifs. Published photographs of the dead have now become common practice. In each case, the casualty’s face is reproduced in close-up so that it fills the frame, typically smiling into the camera. The smile humanises the soldier, in stark contrast to the grim expressions of the First World War memorial statues. The images provide an insight into the personality of the soldier; the smiles demilitarise the soldiers and by cutting the frame of the portrait so closely, the military context is reduced. The absence of military headdress such as the beret, from most obituary photographs removes the most decisive marker of formal status and institutional affiliation from these soldiers. Its absence is a deliberate attempt to subordinate the militarism of the dead soldiers and position the soldiers in civilianised context.

Professor King, concludes ‘Through the dissemination of images, the dead are remembered not as anonymous names but as living personalities. Collective remembrance has been converted into private grief at the loss of an imaginary known personality. In Helmand, the dead soldier becomes domesticated; his familial relations become central to his identification in the moment of remembrance.’

The research findings form part of a debate ‘Britain at war: is there a future for British defence policy?’ at this year’s British International Studies Association annual conference held at the University of Exeter 15 – 17 December 2008.