LZ 'P' Scenes and Photos, Operation Varsity

I did contact www.shepherd.com and got a nice reply from David Tatham. He said he 'had never seen the picture, or anything like it'.
At the time I thought the picture/photo would have been done in 1945 and as David Shepherd was only 13 in March 1945 ,both David Tatham and I thought it unlikely that this David Shepherd was the artist. However, given all the information the kind people on this board have given me I now think he very probably was the artist as some of the trees in his wildlife pictures look similar. The picture could have been painted as late as 1974 (by which time David Shepherd would be 35). I am borrowing a copy of David Shepherd's autobiography from the library to see if he mentions anything about this picture or the Fieldings (but as I only ordered it yesterday it hasn't reached my local library yet).

My elderly friend saw the picture at the Heathfield tip and thought that it might have great sentimental value to someone! But that somehow someone else didn't understand its significance. She is so excited by all the help you are giving us - we can't thank you enough.
Jenny

 

Can’t beat a good old skip find! The younger J V Fielding died in 2014, so maybe a house move has lead to someone throwing it out. Where in the country is the painting now by the way?

 

The picture is still in Heathfield (East Sussex)

 

Ok. If a suitable owner can’t be found, I’d be happy to purchase it and donate it to 216 Airborne Signals.

 

Roof shape for that is definitely a lot closer!, the barn associated with the farm 200m east looks to have a Dutch Gable Jerkinhead combination (or at least did until a recent redevelopment), could have changed at some point during its lifetime too, and fits well with the size, angle, hedge row, pole / electric pole position, and even the board pointing the exact right way to avoid the hedgerows. I think you've got it! Only thing bothering me a tiny bit is if it is that farm and the position somewhere around the tree at 51.7211, 6.5679 then the stream is absent from the paintings foreground.

BR,
SH : )

 

Hi,

A few thoughts on the picture submitted by Jenny. If it's based on any kind of reality the men in the Jeep would be near a road. Whether to their front or rear I am not sure. There is a hedge at Kopenhof on Bislicher Str., and perhaps also on the western side. No hedge is evident in the picture.

The photo posted by Alex previously of the men in the jeep (BU 2395) was taken by Sgt Christie (AFPU) on March 25th at the HQ in the Kopenhof yard and shows Brigadier Hill in front passenger seat and beside him driving is Major-General Bols. The men in the back are probably with the Defense Platoon. The hedge along Bislicher can be seen in background.



No idea if the faint buildings in background of the Jenny pic are some of those present at Kopenhof at the time. Were there more farm buildings at Kopenhof then, extendng farther back, than there are now?

Regards ...

 

You mentioned David shepherds name appears on the image, is it signed or printed on the frame back etc?

Looks like Shepherd may have had a studio in Frensham near Aldershot (so right area).

 

It has the name David Shepherd on the bottom right of the picture - next time I see my elderly friend we will compare this 'signature' with some signatures from paintings that we actually know are by David Shepherd. There is nothing on the back of the picture to say it is an authentic David Shepherd picture. (Sorry before this week I hadn't heard of David Shepherd, so didn't think it very important, just one of the clues to help us trace the owners of the picture)

 

Hi Jenny

That's all right, I didn't know of his name either until your post! I am however, lucky that a family member who is into art has a book by him.

Found the Painting
They believe it is very likely by David Shepherd work, as evidenced further by this identical print which was up for auction in 2015. Eastbourne Auctions – Auctioneers & Valuers of Antiques & Jewellery | Saturday Sale: Quality Modern, Antique Furniture and Effects, Collecta... | Lot 51

Whether your friends picture is a print (like the auction one) or the oridgional piece is another question (probably best left to the art experts), worth noting quite often there will be a limited edition number on the back or by the signature on a print to identify it so if this is present it could be used to easily identify it as a print.

Tracing Fielding's Next of Kin
Another family member has had a deeper look at J V Fielding and suspects he is Colonel John Vivian Fielding (461421)

If correct, he was born in Glasgow in 1939 and died in Basingstoke Hampshire in 2014.

He married Sheila Brown (1936 - 2016) and looks like he had one daughter born around 1972 to 1974. Possibly with the first name Emma.

More Photographs?
Hypothesising a bit- As the painting looks so realistic and many other pieces by Shepherd look to be inspired by photographs, I wonder if he had a connection with one of the war photographer's? (might be some missing photographs out there too)

Hope this gets us a bit further

Edit - A Family member has just emailed Emma to ask if the family tree data is correct. Once / if contact is made I will revert here if we get a response and let you / your friend take the lead regarding how you want to initiate contact. (Assuming the family tree data is correct).

Best Regards,
SH

 

Well thank you so much! Incredible! Well done. I can't wait t tell my friend.
Jenny

 

SH,

Fabulous stuff and terrific work by you and family members. It would be great to discover other original photos the art/print may be based on,

Regards ...

 

I saw my friend today. It is the identical picture that was sold by the Eastbourne Auctions in 2015 as there are certain marks on the frame that are present on our frame too. So well done SH. The mount surrounding the picture has suffered water damage so isn't as smart as it was in 2015. After my friend bought the picture from the Heathfield tip she took it to a framing shop and they did a few repairs but nothing major. Today we took the picture out of its frame. It is a print of a painting or a photograph of a painting as the top of the picture is darker than the rest and you can see the texture of a canvas. I have no idea where the original painting is (possibly J V Fielding had it at his house and he had the print at his workplace, or maybe another relative of someone in the picture had it). The original is definitely painted by David Shepherd as the signature matches other works of art by him. Here is a photograph taken today of the picture with the glass removed.

 

We also took close up pictures of the barn in the background in this picture of Kopenhof

 

And also the sign.
Many thanks for all the information you have supplied us. This has been most exciting for my elderly friend and myself. We hope you manage to locate Emma.
Thank you.
Jenny

 

Hi,

The faintly drawn building(s) in the background remind me of a farm where the war photographer Robert Capa took a number of shots on his way south to the American zones located here (forget the name of it now) about a kilometre east of Kopenhof.

It can be seen be in background of this photo. Of course this isn't Div HQ or any HQ for that matter as the farm home was devastated by fire on March 24th.



Regards ...

 

Hegemann I think.

 

Yo,

Just to demonstrate I'm not entirely imagining things here's a compare and another crop from a slightly different Capa photo.



Regards ...

 

Hi,

Robert Capa took a number of photos on his way to and at "Heggemann Farm". Perhaps the Shepherd artwork is based on one of his unknown photos once he finished at the farm and continued his journey south to the American zones? Due perhaps to his unfamiliarity with the area or being misinformed Shepherd assumed the men in the jeep were somewhere near the Kopenhof HQ.

Don't know as it could also be based on another photo taken later or an amalgamation of more than one scene? The sign is a bit of a mystery as well in this setting. ... Guesswork only at this time until something more solid comes along.

A few more marked pics pointing out features and approximate directions.



Regards ...

 

Helloo,

A BBC documentary on David Shepherd and his fascination with steam trains. It also includes a few glimpses at some of his other interests.



Regards ...

 

That roof is the best fit thus far, the top is pretty distinctive and matches very well without needing any modern changes. I think your hypothesis is likely. if so we are probably looking for a photo of signallers and the sign elsewhere (maybe as you suggest this could be a missing one of Robert Capa's photos from between DZ P and the American Zone?. Do we know anything about the route he took to get back that way?

No word from Emma yet,

BR : )
SH