73GalleryCHRISWARNER, 36
‘I document my life through tattoos. They serve as a reminder of the
difficult times I’ve faced, and pay tribute to the events and people
most important to me, including my dad, who has now passed, and my
daughter, Esmae,’ says Chris Warner – an Air Engineer Technician in the
Royal Navy. ‘My tattoos improve my mindset, too. I might be having a
bad day, but these pieces remind me that I’ve come through much worse.’
DANICUMMINGS, 29
‘A big part of having a tattoo when you’re in
the armed forces is talking about the meanings
behind them,’ says Leading Hand, Dani Cummings,
who joined the Royal Navy in 2007. Born in
County Durham, Cummings has now served in
Afghanistan, Bahrain and the Falklands, which
is why having a tattoo to ‘anchor’ her to home
felt right. ‘The anchor grounds me, while the
swallow represents me being away from my family.
I also have a heart tattooed on my leg to mark
my camaraderie with friends and colleagues- I’ve put a lot of thought into each piece.’
MICKTAYLOR, 49
Remembrance tattoos are often inspired by traditional military motifs.
Flight Sergeant Mick Taylor, pictured below with Tash Kenny (below right)
at RAF Honington, dedicates his body art to symbolic war insignia, sporting
indelible poppies, clock hands pointing to 11 o’clock to mark Armistice Day,
and the silhouette of a ‘Tommy’ soldier in WWI. ‘The motivation for my tattoos
has always been remembrance,’ he says. ‘Some represent forgotten wars
and conflicts, like our presence in Sudan; others are personal to me, such as
a depiction of Operation Banner in Northern Ireland. Essentially though, my
tattoos say thank you to all who have served and sacrificed for our country.’