Your favourite piece of War Art.

Gage,
Slightly off thread, Strictly speaking, not really war art, but another signed print I picked up at the same show was one by the artist R.P Reynolds.
Called Mitchell's Legacy.
Superb rendition of the prototype Spitfire No 5054, being flown over the Vickers hangers at Eastleigh 1936.

Tom

Hey Tom, also see, Nicolas Trudgian. Very good artist.

Home - Nicolas Trudgian

 

For WW1 artwork I like the detail in the pictures by Fortunino Matania. A lot of his work was done for The Sphere.

For some great examples try the following web page, scroll down and click on the links:
Fortunino Matania

And for a link to WW2 and Matania try this next link. Perhaps this should be in the 'What If' section.
The Legends and Traditions of the Great War: Hitler's Encounter with Henry Tandey, VC

Dave

 

Post your favourites here


Waters was attached to 5th Parachute Brigade Headquarters during the invasion of Normandy, and for his actions on D-Day he was awarded the Military Medal. Captain Guy Radmore, the Brigade Signals Officer, wrote the following: "At about 1300 hours on D Day, we heard the sound of Lord Lovat’s piper. In the meantime, my party had started to lay the line from Brigade Headquarters across the two bridges. They had all been wounded from machine gunfire from the Chateau de Benouville to the south west of the canal bridge. Corporal Tom Waters, who with his wireless detachment was in reserve, on his own initiative threw three smoke grenades and got covering fire from one of our Bren guns. He then proceeded to rescue the wounded before, under intense enemy fire, taking the line across the bridges to 7th Parachute Battalion, which was resisting powerful counter attacks in Le Port. He then spent all day maintaining it."

His Military Medal citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and coolness under enemy fire and devotion to duty during airborne operations in the Ranville area on 6th/7th June 1944. On 6th June Corporal Waters volunteered to bring in a wounded comrade from an exposed position, in the face of accurate enemy sniping which had already caused casualties he coolly went forward and brought in the wounded man. He then continued his duty of laying a signal line along an exposed route under constant enemy sniping and small arms fire. When this line was cut by enemy fire Corporal Waters again went out under fire and repaired it. [On several] occasions this NCO went out voluntarily and repaired communications in full view of the enemy. By his gallantry and complete disregard of personal danger Corporal Waters maintained communications between Brigade Headquarters and a Battalion holding a vital position.

On the 25th June, Corporal Waters told Captain Radmore that he suspected that the Germans were sending out men to cut their telephone lines. Radmore wrote: "He [Waters] lay up and later I met him on the road where he appeared wearing jackboots and carrying a German helmet. He had seen the German creep out of the ditch with a pair of wire cutters and had shot him."

Waters was seriously injured during a training accident later in the Normandy campaign. A Sergeant had pulled a pin from a live grenade and, realising this, Waters immediately threw a waste paper basket over it in an attempt to dampen the explosion. He was caught in the subsequent blast and lost his right eye, sustained damage to his right wrist, and also suffered a serious head wound which necessitated a metal plate being inserted into his skull. He returned to the UK in September 1944, and was discharged from military service on 10th May 1945, with exemplary character after 9 years and 312 days service as a regular soldier.

Thomas Waters was determined to carry on with his life and went to great lengths to find a job, eventually becoming a postman in Conisbrough, but he was tragically killed whilst crossing a road during a postal round on the 30th September 1955

 

Whilst visiting an airshow a few years ago I bought a lovely signed print by the artist Michael Turner.
Called 'Hurricanes from Kenley' and shows a flight of three Huricanes taking off, led by Sq Ldr (Later Gp Cpt Tom Gleave). The other pilots being Flt Lt Sidney F. Cooper AFC and Gp Cpt George A. Brown DFC, DL.
Tom

I found this image and downloaded it. The print I have is signed by all the three pilots and the artist.
This is why it is my personal favourite.

Tom

 

That is a nice print Tom , getting it signed by all three makes it a cut above average , a labour which makes it complete.

The one below comes from Michael Rondot.



I had to play around with this to get it done - two Sunderlands over Lough Erne by Michael Rondot , signatures are from Wg. Cmdr J. Barret , F/lt T. Arrighi (Pilots).
The print was to raise funds for the NI branch of the RAF Association , John Cruckshank VC and Terry Bulloch adding the extra signatures to it.

I like this one for several reasons , I know the area well and shape of the southern shore just "tells me where I am" any time I glance at it.

The south shore is dominated by "Magho" the mountain top which runs down the shore to Castle Caldwell , it reminds me of Eddy Edawrds telling me how the Lerwick he was instructing Sid Butler on almost ran onto that shore - the extractor system having jammed when they had committed themselves to taking off , the crew of 202 Squadrons JX242 which crashed on that high ground in Nov. 44 and the numerous mentions of the need to "show it respect" when making your approach.
Take out the aircraft and little has changed , the line of approach will "take them" right over Innishmakill and Gay Island over waters my late grandfather and I often fished ( 1970's) - the same waters which provided the flarepath and on to Castle Archdale , where now as a middle aged man I enjoy to walking our dog.
For me the print is as much a walk through my life from "then" until "now" as well as a window to the past.

Apart from that - it raised money for a very worthy cause. ( Sorry for going on).

The author has gone to the trouble of getting photos of the area and placing the aircraft against them , using other photos of the Sunderland as a basis for this study of the aircraft.
It was painted to mark the last operational patrol by Coastal Command on 4th June 1945.

 

I found this image and downloaded it. The print I have is signed by all the three pilots and the artist.
This is why it is my personal favourite.

Tom

Hey Tom, is that the Michael Turner painting of 501 squadron taking off?

 

Two of mine.

 

Michael Turner - Galland.

 

This is by far my favorite painting. It depicts the heraldic symbol of 120 Squadron RAF. The white Gyr-falcon. Painted by Stephen G. Rooke, who was commissioned to paint the picture for the Squadrons 75th anniversary. The falcon is named 'Nimran' the Arabic word for leopard, reflecting the birds hunting skills.

The aircraft is Liberator Mk.I AM 916 L/120 returning from an anti-submarine sortie over the Atlantic

 

Craig,
My Print ' Hurricanes from kenley' depicts a flight of 253 Squadron Hurricanes taking off from Kenley in August 1940, led by Sqn. Ldr. (Later Group Captain) Tom Gleave.

Regards

Tom.

 

That is a nice print Tom , getting it signed by all three makes it a cut above average , a labour which makes it complete.

The one below comes from Michael Rondot.



I had to play around with this to get it done - two Sunderlands over Lough Erne by Michael Rondot , signatures are from Wg. Cmdr J. Barret , F/lt T. Arrighi (Pilots).
The print was to raise funds for the NI branch of the RAF Association , John Cruckshank VC and Terry Bulloch adding the extra signatures to it.

I like this one for several reasons , I know the area well and shape of the southern shore just "tells me where I am" any time I glance at it.

The south shore is dominated by "Magho" the mountain top which runs down the shore to Castle Caldwell , it reminds me of Eddy Edawrds telling me how the Lerwick he was instructing Sid Butler on almost ran onto that shore - the extractor system having jammed when they had committed themselves to taking off , the crew of 202 Squadrons JX242 which crashed on that high ground in Nov. 44 and the numerous mentions of the need to "show it respect" when making your approach.
Take out the aircraft and little has changed , the line of approach will "take them" right over Innishmakill and Gay Island over waters my late grandfather and I often fished ( 1970's) - the same waters which provided the flarepath and on to Castle Archdale , where now as a middle aged man I enjoy to walking our dog.
For me the print is as much a walk through my life from "then" until "now" as well as a window to the past.

Apart from that - it raised money for a very worthy cause. ( Sorry for going on).

The author has gone to the trouble of getting photos of the area and placing the aircraft against them , using other photos of the Sunderland as a basis for this study of the aircraft.
It was painted to mark the last operational patrol by Coastal Command on 4th June 1945.
James,
Thanks for your comments and I agree. It is the icing on the cake when you can have a signed print.

But yours must be something special, as you can relate straight to your print due to its location and all the local history that you have absorbed.

Some cracking prints being shown on this thread.

Regards

Tom

 

This thread gave me an idea! (and I don't have many of those!)

I'll start with 'The drums of the Fore and Aft' by EDWARD M. HALE, this painting also got me reading Kipling, for which I am ever grateful. Link to the Kipling short story

 

These are my ones! I like them for their dramatic and details they show. Thereis no modern painting like this.



Closing of the gates at Hougoumont".


This one is as dark as the time was.

 

Major General R.E. Urquhart, the only military painting i have sofar.

 

A particular favourite of mine..



The last stand of the survivors of Her Majesty's 44th Foot at Gandamak (1842) painted by William Barnes Wollen in 1898.

 

Hi Lee
That's one of my favourites! I love Cuneo

Lesley

 

Me too Lesley. There's another painting by Cuneo I especially like of an early night time leaflet air raid on Germany but don't have a digital copy of it to show.

Hi Lee
That's one of my favourites! I love Cuneo

Lesley

 

Lee
Did he put his "mouse" anywhere in the pictures? I know he did on the railway paintings.

Lesley

 

Lesley, not that I ever spotted but will look again.