painting, Canadian Artillery in Action
Report a Mistake- Object Number 19710261-0142
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Event
1914-1919 First World War
1916 Battle of the Somme - Affiliation --
- Artist / Maker / Manufacturer Forbes, Captain Kenneth Keith
- Date Made 1918
- Category Communication artifacts
- Sub-category Art
- Department Art and Memorials
- Museum CWM
- Earliest 1918/01/01
- Latest 1918/12/31
- Medium oil
- Support canvas
- Materials Not applicable
- Branch Canadian Field Artillery
- Service Component Canadian Expeditionary Force
- Measurements Height 157.5 cm, Width 245.3 cm
- Caption Canadian Artillery in Action, c. 1918
- Additional Information For Kenneth Forbes, then in the British Army, the call to become a war artist in 1918 was unexpected, but perhaps not unwelcome. He had been wounded and gassed. "I had been in the front line trenches for over two years and had just been promoted to second-in-command of the 32nd Machine Gun Co. which includes the rank of Captain, when I received an order to report to Col. Barry... he informed me that I was to report to the Canadian War Memorials, London and be transferred to the Canadian Army." Canadian Artillery in Action reconstructs an incident on July 16, 1916, during the Battle of the Somme. Suffering under an intense barrage that resulted in many casualties, the Canadian gunners nevertheless stayed at their posts.
- Caption Canadian Artillery in Action
- Additional Information A Canadian 6-inch howitzer supports British troops in the attack on Thiepval on 16 July 1916 during the Somme offensive. The artist captures the exhaustion of the gunners, who appear to have been firing for hours. Prolonged exposure to the noise and shock artillery fire would rupture ear drums and ruin hearing. Most gunners suffered at least partial deafness as a result of their war service.