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Storming of Dargai Heights by the 1st Gordon Highlanders. The Wounded Pipers Gallantry by Richard Caton Woodville.
Christmas, which is essentially the spirit of home, turns our thoughts more sympathetically then at any other season of the year to our kinsmen across the seas, especially to our soldiers in the lonely outposts of the Empire. This picture recalls a famous incident in the story of our Indian Frontier which was thrilling the Motherland about this time twelve years ago. On August 23rd, 1897, the warlike tribe of the Afridis attacked Ali Musjid and Fort Maude. In October a British force was despatched to punish them by invading Tirah, their summer home, and on the 20th of the month occurred the fight on the Dargai Heights, where the enemy had taken up a strong position. The Gurkhas were first sent up, but were met with a withering fire. Then the Derbys and the Dorsets tried to rush the entrenchments; but at last the (1st) Gordon Highlanders were told off for the perilous task. Headed by their pipers, and led by Lieut.-Colonel Mathias, they dashed through a murderous fire, and in forty minutes won the height, leaving three officers and thirty men killed and wounded on the way. The individual acts of courage were equally splendid, and the conduct of the pipers in particular roused great enthusiasm. Their Lance-Corporal was shot through the chest, but Piper Findlater, after being shot through both feet and unable to stand, sat up under a heavy fire and continued playing the Cock o the North to encourage his comrades. His gallantry raised an enormous wave of public enthusiasm. He received the V.C. and retired on a pension to his native Aberdeenshire. |
| | Item Code : DHM0020 | Storming of Dargai Heights by the 1st Gordon Highlanders. The Wounded Pipers Gallantry by Richard Caton Woodville. - This Edition |  Buy 1 Get 1 Half Price! |
| | TYPE | EDITION DETAILS | SIZE | SIGNATURES | OFFERS | YOUR PRICE | PURCHASING | | PRINT | Open edition print.
| Image size 14 inches x 9.5 inches (36cm x 24cm) | none | | £16.00 |
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| Other editions of this item : | Storming of Dargai Heights by the 1st Gordon Highlanders. The Wounded Pipers Gallantry by Richard Caton Woodville. | DHM0020 |
| | TYPE | EDITION DETAILS | SIZE | SIGNATURES | OFFERS | YOUR PRICE | PURCHASING | EX-DISPLAY
PRINT | **Open edition print. (3 copies reduced to clear)
Near perfect condition – may have some slight marks or scratches. | Image size 14 inches x 9.5 inches (36cm x 24cm) | none | | £10.00 | VIEW EDITION... |
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| Artist Details : Richard Caton Woodville | | Click here for a full list of all artwork by Richard Caton Woodville |
Richard Caton Woodville
WOODVILLE, Richard Caton Born London 1856; died there 1927. Woodville was the most prolific battle artist of the nineteenth and early twentieth century in Britain, producing countless oil paintings and drawings, many for the Illustrated London News. As was the case with several history painters of the Victorian period, he studied at Dusseldorf sometime with Wilhelm Camphausen, the great German military painter, and later in Paris. He experienced was first-hand in Albania and Montenegro towards the end of the Russo-Turkish War in 1877, and later in Egypt during the war of 1882. During the latter conflict, he made numerous sketches and obtained photographs of the trenches at Tel-e-Kebir for his friend, the French military artist, Alphonse de Neuville (q.v.) who had been commissioned to paint a scene of the battle. The fruits of both their labours were shown at the Fine Art Society in 1883, Woodville, exhibiting The Moonlight Charge at Kassassin. In 1884, Woodville exhibited by Royal Command, another picture relating to the Egyptian War. The Guards at Tel-e-Kebir (Royal Collection). His first Royal Academy picture exhibited in 1879, was entitled Before Leuthen, Dec. 3rd, 1757. Thereafter, he was a frequent exhibitor at Burlington House, showing no less than 21 battle pictures, many dealing with contemporary events such as the Second Afghan War, Candahar (Private collection) and Maiwand; saving the Guns (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), the Zulu War - Prince Louis Napoleon in Zululand, and the Boer War - Lindley; Whitsunday 1900 (Oxfordshire Light Infantry Association), and Dawn of Majuba (Canadian Military Institute). He painted many historical recreations both in oil and water-colour including a series on famous British battles for the Illustrated London News. He depicted The Charge of the Light Brigade (Royal Collection, Madrid) and The Charge of the 21st Lancers at Omdurman (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), Blenheim, Badajos and several Waterloo pictures. During the Great War, he turned his talents to depicting the current events, three of which were exhibited at the Royal Academy. The 2nd Batt. Manchester Regiment taking six guns at dawn near St. Quentin (The Rings Regiment), Entry of the 5th Lancers into Mons (16th/5th Royal Lancers), and Halloween, 1914: Stand of the London Scottish on Messines Ridge (London Scottish Museum Trust) exhibited in the year of his death. During his life, he was the most popular artist of the genre and he was the subject of several articles in magazines and journals. He himself wrote some memoirs in 1914 entitled Random Recollections. He was deeply interested in the army and joined the Royal Berkshire Yeomanry Cavalry in 1879, staying with them until 1914 when he joined the National Reserve as a Captain.
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