More than a decade on from the height of Britain’s involvement in Afghanistan, the conflict has largely slipped from daily conversation.
Yet within the military, those who served in those years — now older, often more senior in rank — still carry vivid memories of comrades who never came home, just as bereaved families will mourn their loss for a lifetime.
For one veteran, though, ensuring those names, faces and sacrifices are remembered became a personal quest.
When Kev Wills (ex-RLC) sat down in 2021 to paint the likeness of a Royal Marine killed in Helmand, he never imagined that one portrait would lead to a project spanning four years, 458 faces and no small amount of emotion.
News of the artwork spread to social media and soon other relatives were getting in touch.
Before long, the 47-year-old had resolved to paint every British serviceman and woman who fell during the campaign, dating back to the first death in 2002.
Although trained in oils, Wills produced the pictures digitally, working late into the night and at weekends around job and family commitments to finally complete the mammoth tasking earlier this year.
“Digital painting is an art form in its own right,” explained the father-of-four.
“You can buy apps that convert photos into paintings but that’s not the same – it involves no time or effort.
“I use the same process on my tablet as I do for oils. First, I sketch with a pencil tool and a grid, then I build up the colour using different brush effects that mimic the texture of real bristles.
“It’s less time consuming and more affordable than traditional paint – and if you make a mistake, you can rework it without starting again.”
Conscious that every likeness represented a much-missed family member, he admitted the process weighed heavily at times, particularly when it came to painting two former RLC comrades, WO2s Gaz O’Donnell and Charlie Wood, who lost their lives in the battle against improvised explosive devices in 2008 and 2010 respectively.
“I worked with Charlie in Northern Ireland and Gaz was a legend of the EOD world,” Wills continued.
“It was hard painting them but I had to put it out of my mind as best I could.
“Meeting some of the families was emotional, too. They were absolutely overjoyed.
“The whole idea was to let them know that we’ll always remember the fallen – and they were all so grateful that people were still thinking of their loved ones.”
Pte Kyle Adams (Para), one of the 458 portraits Kev has produced
Having crowdsourced funding for the printing, framing and postage, the portraits were presented or mailed to relatives or regiments free of cost, with the last batch handed over in person to the families of Gurkha troops in Nepal earlier this year.
Reflecting on the ceremony in Pokhara and the final chapter in the mission, Wills added: “Just like the UK families, they were emotional at the unveiling. A few tears were shed.
“They had travelled from across the country to be there, with help from the Gurka Welfare Trust.
“It was an amazing day and a nice thought that all of the portraits had found a home.
“There’s more meaning behind a painting than an everyday photograph and they’re now a legacy for children, grandchildren and future generations.”
With the Afghan series complete, Wills’ journey of artistic remembrance was far from over, however.
He has since painted all 41 Australian troops killed in the conflict and has been approached by Canadian families too.
What began as a single portrait has grown into a collective act of commemoration – one man’s determination to ensure sacrifice is never forgotten.
For in the end, the 458 paintings are not just images. They are heirlooms and lasting testaments, reminding us that remembrance – whether of Afghanistan, wars long past or those still to come – is about ensuring the names, faces and stories of the fallen live on.
Cpl Sarah Bryant (Int Corps)
