October 2001 - August 2021

The Long Shadow

A definitive archive of Britain's twenty-year war in Afghanistan - from the aftermath of 9/11 to the final evacuation of Operation Pitting.

Enter the Archiveâ†’In Memoriam

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A Foreword

For two decades, the mountains, deserts, and valleys of Afghanistan were the proving ground of a generation of British soldiers. This archive holds no judgement - only the record. The chronology of how it began, the map of where it was fought, the names and numbers of what it cost, and a quiet space to remember.

The Archive

Part I

The Chronology

Twenty years of turning points, offensives, and political milestones - from the airstrikes of October 2001 to the last flight out of Kabul.

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Part II

The Theatre of War

The valleys of Helmand, the streets of Kabul, the caves of Tora Bora. A map of where it was fought, and what happened there.

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Part III

In Memoriam

A silent, reflective tribute to the four hundred and fifty-seven British lives that did not come home.

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Part IV

The Price Paid

The financial and human ledger of the longest war - measured in billions, in blood, and in the living who still bear it.

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The Weight of It

British lives lost in Afghanistan, 18 years old to 51.

A place to remember them