WORDS BY NICOLA MOYNE. TRIBUTE INK TOURS THE UK FROM SEPTEMBER, 2019. FOR DATES AND LOCATIONS, VISIT RBL.ORG.UK/TRIBUTEINK. THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION IS THE NATION’SBIGGEST ARMED FORCES CHARITY PROVIDING CARE AND SUPPORT TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH ARMED FORCES PAST AND PRESENT AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE LEGION CHAMPIONSREMEMBRANCE AND SAFEGUARDS THE MILITARY COVENANT BETWEEN THE NATION AND ITS ARMED FORCES. IT IS WELL KNOWN FOR THE POPPY APPEAL, AND ITS EMBLEM THE RED POPPY72
GalleryABBY WINCHESTER, 39
Nicknamed ‘the machine’ by her friends in the Royal Air Force, Abby
Winchester is a Survival Equipment Technician at RAF Cosford and
renowned for her love of sports, especially rock climbing and cycling.
The piece displayed on her right shoulder includes her RAF service
number, which is unique to her. She says: ‘Body art can represent
who you are as a person. Together with my tattooist, I created
a design that symbolises my strength, determination and pride in
serving. It’s a real talking point and has boosted my confidence.’JOSHPICKMAN, 27
A Combat Medic in the Royal Army Medical Corps,
Lance Corporal Josh Pickman follows a long
line of military men in his family – both his great
grandfathers fought in WWII. His sleeve honours
their lives and Pickman’s commitment to 16 Medical
Regiment in Colchester. ‘My most important tattoo
is The Essex Regiment cap badge, because my
family served in this regiment and it’s my local area.
One of my great grandfathers was blown up in North
Africa. He was the only man to survive the attack,
but he had shrapnel in his body for the rest of his
life. His party trick was sticking magnets to his arm.’MICHAELBELL, 29
‘I’m passionate about collecting
tattoos, as decades of sailors have
done before me,’ says Michael Bell,
a Leading Diver for the Royal Navy.
‘I have the words “bomb frog” inked
across my knuckles, which is a slang
term for Navy divers and a popular
piece of body art amongst sailors.
The end goal for me is to achieve
that “old-school sailor” look, with
full-body coverage. That’s one of
the reasons I was so excited to be
involved in “Tribute Ink” – I think it’s
important people are aware of the
life-long sacrifice personnel in the
armed forces make, and I believe that
tattoos are a modern and relevant
way to open up that conversation.’