“They Believed in the Cause”: New London Memorial Honors British Volunteers Killed Fighting for Ukraine

A memorial to British volunteer fighters who gave their lives in Ukraine’s struggle against Russia’s full-scale invasion has been unveiled in London, according to Forces News on September 30.

Titled Indomitable Ukraine, the six-day exhibition pays tribute to Ukraine’s resilience and resistance.

It showcases recovered military equipment, personal belongings of soldiers and civilians, military honours and medals, authentic uniforms and clothing from the frontlines, as well as artwork, photographs, documents, maps, and battlefield trophies. Many of these items were brought directly from Ukrainian battlefields to the UK, where they are being shown to the public for the first time.

At the heart of the exhibition is the first memorial of its kind, dedicated to British citizens who took up arms in Ukraine’s defense. The display carries the names and call signs of 40 British volunteers, several of whom previously served in the UK Armed Forces.

Colin Freeman, author of The Mad and the Brave: The Untold Story of Ukraine's Foreign Legion, interviewed a number of those veterans. “They all believed in the cause,” Freeman said.

“These are not people who are just going to go look for any old war to fight in. A number of them went back for repeated tours – [they] didn’t just do three months [to] get that box ticked so that they can come back and say, ‘hey, I fought in Ukraine’.”

Freeman recalled meeting one of the fighters now honoured on the memorial, Christopher Perryman, a veteran of the Royal Brigade of Fusiliers, as reported by Forces News.

“He served in Iraq during the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, and he’d been on active duty in Basra and Amarah. But he said that was nothing compared to being on the receiving end of the Russian artillery, which was a different league altogether.”

Freeman emphasized that, unlike traditional military mobilization where soldiers depart alongside long-time comrades and friends from their regimental base, most foreign volunteers made the decision to join Ukraine’s fight entirely on their own and went without the support of familiar colleagues.

“Then when they come back after serving, during time of R&R [rest and recuperation] back in the UK, they’d be coming back entirely on their own, in towns where there’d be no ticker tape parade, no kind of reception, no welcoming party, no warm words of congratulation from the Prime Minister, no medals. So, it’s quite a lonely experience serving in the Legion,” Freeman added.

“They’re celebrated in Ukraine. Ukraine is very grateful to them. But this memorial, things like this, are pretty much the only recognition that they’re getting here in the UK right now,” he concluded.

According to Forces News, the exhibition is held under the patronage of Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UK and former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi. Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson attended the opening ceremony.

“In these photos, there is not only Ukrainians, but also British soldiers who are serving in different units of [the] Ukrainian army and standing side by side with our guys, and their support, support of [the] British people, is very important for us,” said Yurii Horpynych, Deputy Director General of the War Museum in Kyiv, speaking to Forces News.

Earlier, Kyiv region held its first military burial ceremony for unidentified soldiers at the National Military Memorial Cemetery. The fallen defenders, whose identities remain unknown, were laid to rest with full military honors.

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