Swansea Life
Capturing
the fr
ont line
SwanSea’S Jon Bevan iS an army photographer
JuSt Back from the front line in afghaniStan.
SwanSea life caught up with him to talk aBout
hiS experienceS.
“There have been a couple of occasions fighting and in the line of fire,” he says.
when the commander has instructed that “What I am looking at through my lens is
every man must have his weapon at the the same as the boys are scanning with a
ready. That is when you have to put the weapon.”
camera down. At the end of the day, I am
also a trained soldier and even one extra
The brutal reality of what the troops face in
weapon could make the difference in a fire
Afghanistan was brought into stark focus
fight. But I have never fired so far. It has
for Jon this year. His last tour, from March
never come to that yet.”
to June, was with the Welsh Guards in
Helmand province – the most dangerous
That is how Jon Bevan, an Army area of Afghanistan. The regiment suffered
photographer from Swansea, describes several fatalities not long after he left,
what happens on the battlefield when including the loss of Lieutenant Colonel
things get hairy. Jon has just returned to Rupert Thorneloe, the highest ranking
Swansea after his latest stint on the front officer to be killed in the British Army since
line in Afghanistan. the Falklands War, and Major Sean Birchall.
Things have to be bad for him to put his Jon’s first job upon retuning to the UK was
camera down. Army photographers are to cover their funerals. He had got to know
trained to capture every aspect of Army these men well and says it was tough. “It
life, including front line action. Jon says his was a very emotional tour for me anyway; I
greatest fear is taking a photograph of an felt very connected to the troops,” he says.
enemy who is about to shoot him.
“Then I came back and I had video footage
“I am shoulder to shoulder with the boys of these men, who had since died. It was
16 swansealife September 2009
warphotography.indd 16 24/08/2009 12:05:20
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