Northumbrian Gunner: National Arboretum

Saturday 1 July 2017

National Arboretum - Bastion Memorial Wall

Bastion Memorial Wall
National Arboretum

On the 11th of September (9/11) 2001, terrorists hijacked four airliners in the USA. Two were flown into the World Trade Centre Towers in New York, one was used to attack the Pentagon in Washington, and one crashed into the ground near Pennsylvania. The attacks were orchestrated by the terrorist organisation Al-Queda, and in response the United States launched it's War on Terror and began to attack Afghanistan from where it was believed Al-Queda was based.

The first British Troops deployed to Afghanistan in November 2001. By the end of the year the capital Kabul and the major city of Kandahar had been captured. In 2002, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was established. The occupation developed into a long struggle. The first British service person was killed in November 2004. In 2006, the British Forces moved into Helmand Province and established a camp in the dessert, Camp Bastion.

British Forces would remain in Afghanistan until spring 2014 and at it's peak Camp Bastion contained over 40,000 personnel.

UK Troops in Afghanistan: Timeline of Key Events

Camp Bastion became the location where those who were lost in Afghanistan were commemorated. Initially a small cairn recorded the names of those killed. As casualties mounted a larger cairn was constructed in 2007. A Memorial Wall was constructed in 2011.

Camp Bastion Memorial Wall
Afghanistan

When British Army operations ended in Afghanistan, Camp Bastion was handed over to the Afghan Security Forces and the memorial re-constructed at the National Memorial Arboretum.

The campaign had cost the lives of 453 members of the British Armed Forces.