March 2005 - Digital Photography

The everyday lives of British soldiers in Iraq were illustrated beautifully through photography at the March meeting of Andover Women in Business Club, held at the Red Lion Country Inn, Clanville. Showing his work on screen, Andover photographer, Angus Beaton described to members how he came to be in a position to take such historic photographs.

Following 25 years in the military, Angus retired to start his own photographic business in Andover, not expecting to be called upon again to return to service as an Army photographer. But in January 2003, with the onset of war, Angus was mobilised into uniform again to capture history in the Gulf on his camera. After five years as his own boss, working for himself in ‘civvie-street’, Angus admitted to finding the return to military life something of a shock!

Angus Beaton with AWIBC President Kate King

With his duties varying from day to day, Angus was able to photograph all aspects of life for the Army personnel in troubled Iraq. His pictures show life away from the television cameras and brought home to members the human side of living and working in a war zone. Much of his work involved guiding and facilitating press photographers, which took him around the country and provided the opportunity for a wide range of pictures.

Like press photographers, military photographers compete to provide the pictures that are wired around the world and appear on the front pages of newspapers worldwide. Many of the scenes captured by Angus on his camera succeeded in this and his work is admired and respected by press agencies and the military alike.

Taking photos is Angus’ life: his military photographs are archived and remain as evidence of life as it really was on the battlegrounds during his Service. But Angus wanted to do more to make his time in Iraq worthwhile and yearned to provide his work as a document for others to see. To his delight, the Army agreed to allow him to edit and co-ordinate a book depicting the role of the Army in the Iraq campaign for sale to the public, with another version providing a marketing tool for the military.

The book, ‘The Fight for Iraq - The British Army’s role in liberating a Nation’ is a beautiful, coffee-table book, crammed with full-colour photographs taken during January and June 2003, many of which were shot by Angus. Deviod of the horrific pictures of military action and bloodshed more commonly associated with press reports of the War, the book is full of powerful images of ordinary life for service men and women during wartime and their interaction with the people of Iraq.

The hardback book, selling for only £15 a copy, is published by the Army Benevolent Fund and all proceeds will benefit ex-service personnel.