Squeak and Wilfred
(Signatures)	Artist : Richard Taylor
(Dimensions)	800mm x 640mm  Framed Original Drawing with Original Medals
Price	£3995.00

Description

COMMEMORATING THE GREAT WAR 1914 / 1918 At 11.00am on 11 November 1918 the guns along the Western Front fell silent. Germany, in retreat and humiliated by the failure of its great Spring Offensive, had sued for peace and an Armistice had finally been signed. The war described as 'the war to end all wars' was finally over but peace came at a terrible price; nearly a million soldiers from the British Empire alone had died and many more had been injured. Around the world it has been estimated that perhaps as many as 20 million people had perished in what had become one of the deadliest conflicts known to man. To commemorate the centenary of a particular event involving Private L. Spooner in 1917 , Richard Taylor has created a moving tribute to all the Allied soldiers who took part in that epic struggle , the drawing depicts an actual event in 1917 and portrays the WWI Tank of which Private L. Spooner was a crew member. The scene is hectic and set in the thick mud of a WWI battlefield , in the foreground a gun crew are struggling to drag their gun out of the thick mud and overhead the pilot of a Sopwith Camel in the colourful markings of 9 Squadron RFC who, as he coaxes his smoking and battle-damaged aircraft back to base, has relied on his wingman for support. Central to the drawing is Private L. Spooner's Tank heading towards the Front lines...Matted in the mount are the two original medals awarded to Private L. Spooner of the Tank Corps...The British War Medal : this silver medal with a orange centred ribbon with black, white and royal blue edges was introduced to record the successful conclusion of the War and awarded to anyone who saw service at any time between 1914 and 1918 (later extended to to cover service from 1919-20 in Russia). The obverse shows the uncrowned left- facing profile of King George V and on the reverse St George on horseback trampling underfoot the eagle shield of the Central Powers and a skull and crossbones as an emblem of death. Above the sun has risen in victory...The Victory Medal : This yellow bronze medal with a double rainbow ribbon was awarded to all who had received the Star medals and most of those who had received the British War Medal. The standing figure of Victory holding a palm branch in her right hand appears on the obverse and on the reverse a laurel wreath contains the inscription THE GREAT WAR FOR CIVILISATION 1914-1919. The extended date reflects the continued fighting in India and Russia and the Peace Treaty at Versailles in June 1919...Pip, Squeak and Wilfred are the nicknames given to three WWI campaign medals: the 1914-15 Star; the British War Medal and the Victory Medal...priced @ £3995.00 for this stunning original.