On 23rd June, 2024, the Royal British Legion marked the 25th anniversary of the end of the Kosovo War, which saw the deployment of the NATO-led international peacekeeping force – KFOR, with a Service of Remembrance held at the National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire.
Around 300 veterans and their families took part in the event travelling from all over the UK.
Heartstone was honoured to receive a request from the Royal British Legion to bring an exhibition of images from the ‘KFOR and Kosovo +25’ exhibition, produced by our photojournalist, Nick Sidle, to be part of this important commemoration.
RBL said:
The Royal British Legion was delighted to support Heartstone in the display of the KFOR and Kosovo +25 images at our special ceremony to mark the contribution of the Armed Forces in KFOR. Our event was to pay tribute to the men and women of the British armed forces who have served, and continue to serve, in Kosovo and our approach in the event was to convey the many different aspects of peace-keeping and the extraordinary challenges this service requires. The Heartstone images perfectly complemented this approach and provided great talking points after the ceremony.
Around 4000 British troops were initially deployed as part of a 50,000 strong multinational force to establish and maintain a secure environment and promote peace and stability. The ‘KFOR and Kosovo +25’ images were presented as a large-format display for the event and ‘brought to life’ the world of Kosovo at the time and the role of the peacekeepers. It provided a mechanism to remember a period of history that those at the event had been part of.
Special guests at this event included the High Sheriff of Staffordshire, Ms Julia Mitchell and HE Mr Ilir Kapiti, Kosovo Ambassador to the UK pictured above either side of the image with returned refugee family and Cpl Simon Valentine, with Sitakumari (1st left) and Ms Lynda Atkins, DL, National Vice Chair, Royal British Legion (1st right).
The High Sheriff of Staffordshire is now assisting with taking the ‘KFOR and Kosovo +25’ exhibition into Staffordshire to ensure the photodocumentary reaches the widest possible audience.
Pictured in photo above from left to right: Group Captain Retired Mrs Anny Reid OBE ARRC – Chair of Trustees, National Memorial Arboretum, and Royal British Legion Trustee, Defence Attache for Kosovo, Lt Col John Smith, two senior RBL Trustees.
This event was an opportunity to bring together some of the soldiers pictured in the images so that they could present what they had done at the time and their reflections 25 years on as to what they felt they had accomplished. This concept has since been repeated in every staging of the exhibition. Veterans of the Kosovo deployment have the opportunity to present their personal stories using the images as their stimulus.
Lt Col John Smith is the soldier featured in the image taken outside Burice School 25 years ago, a school he helped to rebuild at the time. He was present at the event and spoke to many of the guests to present what he did then and his reflections now. He is an important part of this new exhibition, together with other soldiers from the images who have been tracked down and similarly contributing to the exhibition. He is pictured above, 3rd from right, alongside himself in the photo taken in 2000.
He is seen here talking with the High Sheriff of Staffordshire about his role and that of KFOR in protecting religious sites, as demonstrated in the image, . This was a necessary action to prevent desecration which was happening at the time. Both churches and mosques under the protection of KFOR are featured in the photodocumentary.
Also present at this event was Carol Valentine, pictured above to the left of the image which includes her son, Cpl Simon Valentine, who at 19 years of age was instrumental in bringing aid at speed to the newly returned refugee family also in the image. Simon was tragically killed in Afghanistan a few years later and his mother is now an important part of the ‘KFOR and Kosovo +25’ exhibition, attending as many events as she can, in the process keeping his memory alive.
Pictured in photo above from left to right: Ms Lynda Atkins, DL – National Vice Chair, Royal British Legion. Group Captain Retired Mrs Anny Reid OBE ARRC – Chair of Trustees, National Memorial Arboretum and Royal British Legion Trustee, Ms Carol Valentine, HE Mr Ilir Kapiti, Kosovo Ambassador to the UK, Defence Attache for Kosovo, Sitakumari
The third veteran from the images present at the event was Billy Miller, seen above in the image, leading a group of young men who had under his leadership formed a football team. His previous experience in other locations had demonstrated the power of football to bring groups who would otherwise not meet to come together. In this case, the desire to form a football team overcame any issues of intolerance and concerns of atrocities that might have been committed on any side. The veteran at the right of the image worked with Billy. On the day of this event, Billy was one of the speakers in the commemoration service and gave a powerful presentation of what had happened and the role of KFOR in helping to bring safety, and security as well as helping to rebuild the world of Kosovo alongside the civilians of all communities.committed.
Heartstone is grateful for the support and recognition of the National Memorial Arboretum in the staging of this exhibition as part of the KFOR commemoration.
