Thoroughly Victorian in a Modern Setting: The New Afghanistan-Iraq War Memorial

When I first heard that a new monument was to be unveiled in dedication to the British military and humanitarian efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan from the 1990s to the present day, I had assumed it would be done in a fairly traditional style. I expected an obelisk of some sort, perhaps a list of names, and a poem or two- after all, this is the form which many war memorials took after the First World War when there was a shift away from the triumphalist and militant styles of ages past towards more reverential remembrance.

Instead, what was unveiled is a truly unique and brilliantly 'old-fashioned' memorial which promotes a very strong narrative of "Duty and Sacrifice" in a hostile land, promoting both the seemingly altruistic and generous work of British humanitarian workers and the courage and pride of the nation's soldiery.

It is an absolutely wonderful memorial and monument with a great many fine details not immediately obvious to the viewer. A ripe topic for over-analysation!

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