A new bronze statue has been unveiled in Colchester, celebrating the deep and enduring ties between the historic city and the paratroopers who call it home.
The monument, depicting a soldier fully equipped for a parachute jump, marks 25 years since 16 Air Assault Brigade first established itself at Merville Barracks.
The unveiling was a proud, ceremonial occasion, drawing serving troops, veterans, civic leaders, and members of the public to Flagstaff Road for a parade set to music performed by the British Army Band Tidworth. Soldiers marched in formation, medals gleaming and maroon berets on display, as flags including the Union Jack were carried through the tree-lined streets. Two artillery guns stood sentinel beside the covered statue as the crowd gathered.
The honour of unveiling the statue fell to two men who have led the Brigade at opposite ends of its Colchester story: Lieutenant General Sir Barney White-Spunner, who commanded 16 Air Assault Brigade when it first arrived in the city in 2000, and Brigadier Ed Cartwright, its current commander.
Brigadier Cartwright spoke of the pride the Brigade takes in calling Colchester home, noting that for a quarter of a century the city has served as a springboard for operations abroad, all while a supportive local community has embraced both the troops and their families. He described the new statue as a focal point for reflecting on the Brigade’s achievements and celebrating its bond with the city.
Since arriving in Colchester, the Brigade has deployed on operations across the world, including Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Sudan, Turkey, and Tristan da Cunha, a record of service that earned it the Freedom of Colchester in 2008. That honour has since been exercised on returns from Afghanistan in 2009 and 2011, and again in 2023.
The Mayor of Colchester, Councillor Andrew Ellis, echoed that sense of pride, saying the city feels truly honoured to host one of the world’s most respected military formations. He called the statue a moving tribute to the courage and sacrifice of airborne soldiers and their families, and said it would stand for generations as a symbol of remembrance and gratitude between the city and its Armed Forces.
Fittingly, the statue’s home on Flagstaff Road sits at the crossroads of Colchester’s military past and present. The site marks the old entrance to the Victorian-era Colchester Garrison, now the Garrison Conservation Area, and stands close to the Colchester Roman Circus, a scheduled ancient monument that speaks to the city’s 2,000 years of military heritage. Former barracks buildings, now converted into housing, surround the statue, tying the memory of past generations of soldiers to the present-day Brigade.
The statue itself was funded not by government grant but by the generosity of the community it honours, raised through fundraising drives and donations from serving soldiers, veterans, and members of the public, a fitting testament to the bond it now commemorates.
Image: MOD Crown Copyright News / Editorial Licence.
