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Badajoz by Mark Churms.
On the night of 6th April 1812 Wellingtons Army, surrounding the walled Spanish town of Badajoz (garrisoned by Napoleons soldiers under general Baron Philippon) is ready to attack! The men of the 45th regiment from Pictons 3rd Division launch themselves in a desperate and bloody assault against the north castle wall. Carrying improvised ladders, the men have their top buttons undone, overalls rolled up and are stripped for action. The castles defenders (Germans, allied to Napoleon of the Graf und Erbprinz Regiment from Hesse-Darmstadt) partroling the walls in their greatcoats are intially surprised by the bold assault from this sector but they have been preparing the strong defenses for some time. Soon the night air is full of musketry, falling masonry, burning bundles of ropes and exploding grenades or mines. Despite the horrific casualties suffered the attackers press home. As the first scaling ladders are raised near a small bell tower the young Lt. James Macpherson reaches for the top of the wall. The ladders are too short! Undaunted he cries to his men below to lift the base of the ladder closer to the wall. This rapid, vertical movement suddenly propels him to a height several feet above the Germans heads. A shot rings out as one of the defenders fires point blank into the young mans chest. Fortunately the lead ball only strikes a glancing blow, cleaving in two a button of the officers waist coat and dislocating one of his ribs. Despite his fortunate escape, the force of the impact nearly sends him tumbling from the ladder. Somehow he maintains his grasp but the ladder itself gives way under the weight of the men following. Some unfortunates are impaled on the bayonets of their comrades below. Leaping from the rungs of another ladder, Corporal Kelly is the first man over the top and gradually the 45th gain a foothold on the ramparts. The rest of the regiment is ordered to unfix bayonets. Using the few remaining ladders, others also manage to scale the walls. Through the carnage they climb, club and shoot their way into the castle itself! Maepherson now regains consciousness at the foot of the wall and revived with a cup of coco from his friend A.A. General Hercules Packenham, who was directly behind him on the ladder when it broke. Though winded by the shot he rises to his feet. This sudden movement relocates his rib and he is able to climb the ladders once more. Once over the defense he sees the old towers of Apendez and Albar-rana to his left and the cathedral illuminated by gun fire in the distance. However his objective is directly ahead. Atop the abandoned tower of Santa Maria before him still flies the French tricolour. Macplierson seizes the opportunity, mounts the spiral stairway to the top turret and pulls down the enemy flag. For want of a substitute he flies his own red jacket from the pole, signifying that the castle has fallen. In the rest of the town the fighting continues and turns into a blood lust. Badajoz is one of the bloodiest and violent sieges of the Peninsula War. On the following day Maepherson presents his trophy to the Duke of Wellington himself but his bravery is not rewarded with a promotion. |
| | Item Code : DHM0367 | Badajoz by Mark Churms. - This Edition | |
| | TYPE | EDITION DETAILS | SIZE | SIGNATURES | OFFERS | YOUR PRICE | PURCHASING | | PRINT | Signed limited edition of 1000 prints.
| Image size 16 inches x 23 inches (41cm x 58cm) | Artist : Mark Churms | £55 Off!
 | Now : £70.00 |
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| EXCLUSIVE website offer from Cranston Fine Arts - FREE art print(s) supplied with the above item! | 
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Exclusive Offer for Online Orders Only
FREE PRINT : The Passage of the Bidassoa by Wellingtons Army 7th October 1813 by J P Beadle.
This complimentary art print worth £14
(Size : 12 inches x 8 inches (31cm x 20cm))
has been specially chosen by Cranston Fine Arts to complement the above edition, and will be sent FREE with your order.
This item can be viewed or purchased separately in our shop, HERE
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| Other editions of this item : | Badajoz by Mark Churms. | DHM0367 |
| | TYPE | EDITION DETAILS | SIZE | SIGNATURES | OFFERS | YOUR PRICE | PURCHASING | ARTIST
PROOF | Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. | Image size 16 inches x 23 inches (41cm x 58cm) | Artist : Mark Churms | £50 Off! | Now : £90.00 | VIEW EDITION... | | POSTCARD | | Postcard size 6 inches x 4 inches (15cm x 10cm) | none |  | £2.00 | VIEW EDITION... | EX-DISPLAY
PRINT | **Signed limited edition of 1000 prints. (2 copies reduced to clear)
Ex-display prints with slight surface damage. | Image size 16 inches x 23 inches (41cm x 58cm) | Artist : Mark Churms | Half Price! | Now : £50.00 | VIEW EDITION... |
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| Artist Details : Mark Churms | | Click here for a full list of all artwork by Mark Churms |
Mark Churms
Mark was born in Wales in 1967. He gained his degree in Architectural Studies at Oxford Polytechnic in 1989, but soon his interest in drawing buildings was surpassed by his love of painting horses and in 1991 he began work as a freelance artist. His first commissions were for sporting subjects, Polo, Racing and Hunting. However his consuming passion for military history, particularly of the Napoleonic era, quickly became his dominant theme, with the invaluable counsel of French military experts (accuracy in uniform and terrain of the various battles takes a great deal of time and consultation with many experts across Europe). Mark Churms joined Cranston Fine Arts in 1991 and for a period of 8 years, was commissioned for several series and special commissions. His series of the Zulu War, and of the Battle of Waterloo were the highlights during this period. Mark Churms' deep understanding and detailed knowledge of the period made Mark at that time one of the most prolific and successfull artists for Cranston Fine Arts. Cranston Fine Arts are proud with their series of superb art prints and original paintings painted by Mark Churms in this period. We now offer Mark Churms art prints in special 2 and 4 print packs with great discounts as well as a number of selected original paintings at upto half price.
More about Mark Churms
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