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Granted leave
to return to England, he re-joined his battalion on 16 March 1918.
The following month his company was involved in heavy fighting
during the German Spring Offensive.
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A
German Attack on a Wet Morning, April 1918
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Background
note for the Royal Academy exhibition of his painting
A
German Attack on a Wet Morning, April, 1918.
"A
recollection of a heavy local attack in the neighbourhood of
Villers-Bretonneux, during the great German offensive, Spring
1918. The Painter has tried to give the impressions of the tired
soldiers..."
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| "...The
remains of the 8th Battalion KRRC, not a hundred strong, who had
been on the retreat since March 21st, were hastily reorganized,
and sent up in reserve the night before, to hold a sunken road,
not a shot being heard from the Germans. Before dawn, an intensive
bombardment of our lines opened up, and was maintained for a couple
of hours. In the gloom and rain the storm troops then came over,
and smashed through our two first lines. The picture shows them
moving with exact discipline and just appearing to the few men in
reserve. The shell holes in the foreground show the accuracy of
the preceding bombardment. The British are hopelessly outnumbered,
but training and discipline keep them going, without thought of
retirement. Two men are firing a Lewis gun. The wounded man has
a poor chance of getting away; he must cross much open country swept
by enemy fire, and go through a heavy barrage. At the last the few
left were surrounded, but fought their way out, some wounded, some
being taken prisoner." |
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Williamson
does not mention that the wounded man in the right of the painting
is himself. The wound was serious enough for him to be sent back
to England for medical treatment. He worked on the painting shortly
after being released from hospital and it was shown at the Royal
Academy in late 1918.
While recuperating
in England he was offered a contract with the Ministry of Information
to produce work for the War Artists scheme, but the Armistice
intervened and the contract was never taken up. Williamson became
a respected artist after the war, showing work at the Royal Academy,
the New English Art Club, the London Group and many other galleries.
He became Headmaster at the Chelsea School of Art in 1930 until
1958. He died in 1978.
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"It
is the end at last" he said, "the very end of the war".
Happiness
surged through me, joy and relief came to my brain, the incredible
end, and fighting over... The sun shone finally for me... My heart
warmed to my companion. I had come back from the grave; I hardly
walked the earth as living man... He pitied me. He very kindly put
his arms round my shoulders. I responded. In this rather unsoldierly
way we set off down the hill."
H S Williamson, circa 1930 |
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The letters
and manuscripts of H S Williamson are available for study at the
Department of Documents.
The paintings and drawings are available for study at the Department
of Art.
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September 1916
September
1916 - June 1917
July
1917
August
1917
August
1917 - December 1917
December
1917 - January 1918
January
1918 - February 1918
March
1918 - 1978
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