Sergeant Rupert Frere, of the Royal Logistic Corps, came top in five categories at ceremony in central London today


From soldiers risking their lives on the battlefield and troops being transported to Afghanistan in a Royal Air Force C17 to world war veterans at VE Day commemorations, these fascinating photographs give a glimpse into life behind the scenes of the Armed Forces.

The stirring images, which are all winners or runners-up in this year's Army Photographic Competition, give an intriguing insight into Army life which would otherwise be unobtainable.

They have all been taken by amateur and professional soldier cameramen, with the winners being announced at a special ceremony at The Royal Hospital Chelsea in London today.

Sergeant Rupert Frere, formerly of a bomb disposal unit and now part of the Royal Logistic Corps (RLC), amazingly came top in five of the professional categories, including Best Overall image.

For this year only a new category was also introduced to reflect the professional photographers' work in Afghanistan during a decade of Operation Herrick and Sgt Frere saw his portfolio scoop first prize.

He also claimed the best Op Herrick Portrait and runner-up Op Herrick Portfolio with captivating images from three separate tours of duty in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the best Professional Portrait award went to 30-year-old Corporal Paul Shaw, Royal Logistic Corps, for his image of Sergeant John S Kabia, a Sierra Leonean soldier, taken during the height of the Ebola crisis.

Photography is a recognised trade in the Royal Logistic Corps and there are 36 professional photographers in the Army, who are assigned to brigades around the UK and Germany and work as part of AMC at Army Headquarters in Andover.

This action-packed photograph showing soldiers grafting in the battlefield as a helicopter swoops in with more troops during an operation by British soldiers and Afghan police to re-establish government control in an area of Helmand province, was taken by Sergeant Rupert Frere. He scooped five awards in this year's Army Photographic Competition, including for this image in the Op Herrick Portfolio category

This battleground image of a tanker in Helmand Province, Afghanistan - named 'flash, bang, wallop' - was taken by Sergeant Jamie Peters and came runner-up in the Professional Op Herrick Portfolio category - which was introduced to the competition for the first time this year to offer an insight into 10 years of Army life in Afghanistan and reflect the professional photographers’ work during life on the battlefield

Sgt Jamie Peters (left) came second place to Corporal Paul Shaw, of the Royal Legion Corps, in the Professional Portfolio category, while Major Andrew Whitehead-Hughes came runner-up in the Amateur Portfolio for his captivating 'Afghan Stare' image (pictured right)

Corporal Carl Hines of the Royal Artillery providing covering fire while members of 4 Brigade Reconnaissance Force cross open ground in Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan. The photo, by Sgt Rupert Frere, was part of a set that won him the Professional Op Herrick Portfolio category

Fusilier John Bryant, an 18-year-old soldier fromThe Royal Highland Fusiliers 2nd Battalion, on patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan

The U.S. Army's 502nd Regiment are seen supplying fire support for 5 Armoured Engineer Squadron, Royal Engineers during Operation HAMKARI in Afghanistan. The photo by Sgt Rupert Frere is part of a set that was named winner of the Professional Op Herrick Portfolio

Major Andrew Whitehead-Hughes came runner-up in Amateur Portfolio category for this 'Waiting Game' image, showing soldiers tugging on rope during an exercise. It is one of a number showing Army soldiers grafting in images taken for the this year's photographic competition

A group of soldiers including Afghan Officer Cadets play tug of war in the military academy in Kabul where Maj Andrew Whitehead-Hughes, 47, a reservist was based. The Major, from Llandyrnog, Wales, scooped first prize in the Amateur Sport category for his 'tug of war' image

This fascinating image shows Ministry of Defence soldiers, who are serving with 16 Air Assault Brigade, seated on a Royal Air Force C17 for the final leg of their journey to Afghanistan. The photo was taken by Sgt Rupert Frere and featured as part of a set that was today named the winner of the Professional Op Herrick Portfolio category - which was introduced to give an insight into life in Afghanistan

Photography is a recognised trade in the Royal Logistic Corps and there are 36 professional photographers in the Army, assigned to brigades around the UK and Germany, and working at Army HQ in Andover. Above: Second place in the Professional Portfolio category

Officer Cadets from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) are seen on Exercise Dynamic Victory, Hohenfels Training area, Bavaria, in July (right). Exercise Dynamic Victory is the final exercise of the 44-week commissioning course and tests the cadets suitability to become junior officers in the Army. Pictured left: Major Andrew Whitehead-Hughes was runner-up in the Amateur category for the 'Long March'

Members of 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment rest in a secure compound while on patrol around Char Coucha near in Afghanistan

Former Garrison Sergeant Major, The Household Division and London District WO1 William Mott OBE MVO, inspects the Nijmegen Company Grenadier Guards and appears unimpressed. The captivating image was taken by Sgt Rupert Frere and came first in the Army PR category

Musicians from the Household Division Bands and the Countess of Wessex's String Orchestra, together with the acclaimed Choir of the Military Chapel Choir, perform at a special Easter Choral Concert at The Guards' Chapel. The concert was a commemoration of the Passion of Christ and His Resurrection set to music and the programme included music for Easter week and featured stunniong works from Mozart

A special display, Ten Years of Operation Herrick, was on show at today’s event and highlighted the best of a decades worth of images captured by Army photographers, who carried arms as well as cameras and saw front-line action throughout the campaign in Afghanistan

Lance Corporal Paul-Rui PENU, 35, who was born in Ghana and is part of 29 Regimentt Royal Logistic Corps, has won a total of three awards in this year's Army Photographic Competition including scooping a prize for this image of bloodied troops on the battlefield

Private John Mitchell is pictured (left) resting after patrolling through the night in the Upper Sangin Valley in Afghanistan in this photo by Sgt Rupert Frere, titled 'Black Watch', which was named best overall in the Afghan-special category, Professional Op Herrick. Right: A ceremonial horse involved in the Horse Guards Parade and a Grenadier Guard pose for a selfie in the stables before the Colonels Review

Titled 'Knobbly Knees', this image shows three veterans reading the programme for the VE Day Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph. The service, held to coincide with the moment Winston Churchill broadcast to the nation in 1945, was marked by a nationally observed two-minute silence and saw senior political and military representatives lay wreaths in front of more than 100 veterans and their guests

Former Garrison Sergeant Major, The Household Division and London District, WO1 William Mott OBE MVO, explains to a Royal Navy soldier that he is in the wrong place (left) and asks him kindly to move back onto the pavement, during the National Act of Remembrance, held at the Cenotaph last year. Right: The Prince of Wales takes a Royal Salute in front of Buckingham Palace, after the Colonels Review

Sergeant Richard McKinnon, a Royal Logistic Corp bomb disposal expert, checks the fuse on a Second World War SC 250kg German Bomb which was discovered unexploded near the Shard in Bermondsey earlier this year. Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes while a team of experts worked through the night to make it safe enough to transport to Kent, where it was destroyed at an Army base

Sgt Jamie Peters scooped second place in the Professional Portfolio category with this image which he chose to call 'The Last Heave'

A Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery Field Gun and limbers drawn by six-colour matched horses are shown in this photo which scooped first place in the Professional Portfolio category. The guns in the Troop display are 13 pounders, all of which saw service in the First World War. Each gun and limber weighs one and a half tonnes and has no brakes. They are pictured putting on a display at Charlton Park

The British Army Rugby Team (ARU) are seen playing Glasgow Warriors at the Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow on September 25 in this photo called 'The Passback' which was taken by Bombadier Murray Kerr and scooped first prize in the competition's Amateur Portfolio

This black and white image, called 'Tank on the Range, Lulworth', was taken by Officer Cadet Adam Webb, 22, from Leatherhead, Surrey, and won the public vote on the Army Facebook page. It shows two soldiers riding a tank as it makes its way across sparse moorland

Officer Cadet Adam Webb, from the 3rd Battalion The Princess of Wales (left), who won Best Online Image, Winner of the Public Vote. Pictured right: Bombadier Murray Kerr, from Dennistoun and of the Royal Artillery won Best Amateur Portfolio. The 43-year-old said 'The best thing for me as a reservist Army photographer is the access we get, to the things nobody else would ever have a chance of seeing'

In this image, titled 'Tigers in the Jungle', a soldier is seen training in a series of caves inside the Belizean jungles The 2nd Battalion of The Prince of Wales Royal Regiment have been learning jungle warfare including abput how to hunt food and water, create fire, fighting and patrolling. Right: Sergeant John S Kabia from the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) is pictured at a camp in Kono, Sierra Leone during the Ebola outbreak. The photograph, by Corporal Paul Shaw, was named winner of the Professional Portrait category

Lance Corporal Paul-Rui Pen, 35, of the 29 Regt Royal Logistic Corps, has won a total of three awards in this year's competition. Right: Cpl Dave Johns holds a photograph of his eldest son who in turn is holding a picture of his younger brother. The photo - called 'Me and my boys' - was taken by Pte Rebecca Brown, a combat medical technician from Aldershot, and won first prize in the Amateur Portrait category

Major Andrew Whitehead-Hughes (left) saw his photograph land first place in the Amateur Sport Category, while Sergeant Rupert Frere (right), of the Royal Logistic Corps, came top in five of the professional categories. He said: 'It’s pretty amazing to win. I’m gobsmacked. I spent three tours on Op Herrick from 2009 to 2012/13. I had lots of friends there and unfortunately lost some friends there, too. So, to have these images that remind people of what we went through out there, it means a lot to me, personally, that they’ve chosen my photos'