Artist Statement

Researching the material remains of the Somme battle fields in Northern France, through my archaeological work, I decided to turn my hand to recreating some of the artifacts through my stippling art. Two pieces I have entered are artifacts from the Somme battlefield – a trench sign from the area of Villers-Bretonneux, and a hooked quillon bayonet from Pozières, two major battle sites of the ANZAC legend. The third piece is a composition depicting the frozen, fog-shrouded horrors of the Western Front. This limited-edition print captures a harrowing moment from the final days of the Battle of the Ancre, the catastrophic closing chapter of the Battle of the Somme. It documents the fateful advance on Munich Trench at Beaumont Hamel, frozen in time at precisely 8:55 AM on the 15th of November 1916. It centres on the main figure of Captain L. G. Jude of the 10th (Service) Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, immortalized in the final moments as he selflessly led his men, face on, into machine gun and artillery fire.