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| "Brigadier-General Grogan, CMG in action at Bouleuse Ridge, Aisne, 29 May 1918" |
Eddie Bon tells me that the artist who painted the painting featured on the cover of the Pen & Sword book “Bloody Red Tabs: General Officer Casualties of the Great War 1914 - 1918” by Frank Davies and Graham Maddox was Gilbert Holiday.
Charles Gilbert H. Holiday was born in Paddington, London in January 1879. His parents were Sir Frederick C. Holiday, a Civil Servant, and his wife, Adela M. Holiday, nee Mileham, who was an artist. Gilbert had the following siblings: Climene M., b. 1875, Mary E. A., b.1881 and Christabel S M., b.1883. Gilbert was a nephew of the artist and stained glass designer, Henry Holiday. Educated at Westminster School, Gilbert went on to study art at the Royal Academy Schools. He then worked as an illustrator for “The Graphic”, “Tatler”, “Illustrated London News” and other magazines.
Gilbert married Mina Spencer from Guernsey in 1908. When war broke out in 1914, Gilbert initially worked as a war artist for “The Graphic” magazine. He volunteered to join the Army and was commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery in January 1915 as a Second Lieutenant, serving on the Western Front as a Forward Observation Officer. He was later appointed Reconnaissance Officer. He drew plans of German positions, often working in No Man’s Land with his sketchbook. Gilbert fought at the Battles of Arras, Passchendaele and the Third Battle of Ypres. He left the Army in 1919 with the rank of Lieutenant.
After the war, Gilbert concentrated on painting sporting scenes, especially those involving horses. He illustrated a number of books including the Royal Artillery War Commemoration Book. While hunting with the Woolwich Draghounds in 1932, Gilbert had a bad fall from his horse, resulting in injuries necessitating the use of a wheelchair. He painted on but died on 8th January 1937 after contracting pneumonia.
Examples of Gilbert’s WW1 paintings: “1st Battalion, The Royal Scots Fusiliers defending Lock No. 2 on the Mons-Conde Canal at Jemappes on 23 August 1914” and “Horse-drawn transport passing the Cloth Hall, Ypres, 1917”.
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| “Horse-drawn transport passing the Cloth Hall, Ypres, 1917” by Gilbert Holiday |
Gilbert Holiday (1879 - 1937) – British artist - featured in the exhibition WW1 “Aftermath” held in January 2019 at the Wirral Peninsula’s Award Winning Wilfred Owen Story.
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The title of the paintinhg featured on the cover of "Bloody Red Tabs" is Brigadier-General Grogan, CMG, DSO, GOc, 23rd Infantry Brigade - In action at Bouleuse Ridge on the Aisne, 29th May 1918, for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross."
For further information on the book and other Pen & word military publications, please see their website https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/
