Play area sign is a tribute to Ian
A SIGN made by soldiers in tribute to a fallen comrade killed in Afghanistan now marks a new £40,000 playground designed to look like a armoured fighting vehicle
The new playground – which features unique play equipment designed to look like a Warrior Armoured Fighting Vehicle, used on operations by the Mercian Regiment – has been officially opened at the Staffordshire Regiment Museum.
It is a tribute to the memory of Warrant Officer Ian Fisher who was killed in a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan in 2013.
At the time, WO2 Fisher was serving with the 3rd Battalion of the Mercian Regiment (Staffords).
To honour their friend and comrade, soldiers named the compound where the battalion’s Warriors were kept in his honour, and made a sign, declaring it, ‘Fisher Camp.’
That sign was then donated to the museum – and triggered the concept for the children’s playground.
Museum director Danielle Crozier said: “WO2 Fisher was a popular man among the battalion and his loss was felt by all.
“To honour their former friend and colleague the Warrior compound in Afghanistan was aptly named after him.
“The sign was brought back from Afghanistan by Sergeant-major Ben Davies and he gave it to the museum, on condition that it had to be put on display. The space where we put it was quite large and we realised we could build Camp Fisher.”
Danielle, who was museum curator at the time of WO2 Fisher’s death, came up with the idea of designing a play area to honour him and the contribution made to the Afghanistan conflict by all those serving in the Mercian Regiment.
Information posts around the play area informs visitors to the museum of the role Mercian Regiment has played in the conflict.
The museum was successful in winning two grant applications, to the Armed Forces Community Covenant and the Heritage Lottery Fund, and quickly began working up custom designs for the playground.
After much tweaking and changes the Warrior arrived with the museum in July.
It has now been officially opened at a ceremony attended by WO2 Fisher’s widow, Emma Fisher-moore, their children, William and James, his parents, Simon and Helen Fisher and his sister Lynda.
WO2 Fisher was born in Barking, Essex, lived in Hornchurch in Essex until he went to Staffordshire University to study Geology and Physics. He joined the Army and was posted to several overseas countries and after his marriage lived in Hampshire and Germany. He had also lived in Werrington.
Danielle added: “It has been a privilege to have been able to develop and work on this project. It has provided us with the opportunity to honour an incredible, professional and well thought of soldier who served in a battalion which despite its short history, was able to achieve great things.
“We are very grateful that we were able to secure the funding required to bring our ideas to life. But in addition to that I have been humbled by the support we have received locally from our veterans, friends of Ian’s, and local businesses who answered our pleas for help to get the area finished. I very much hope we have been able to do Ian and the battalion proud.”
Councillor Annette Shipley, chairwoman of Werrington Parish Council, said: “I think it’s a lovely idea. Anything that commemorates people who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and for us is wonderful.”