In Memoriam of the Heroes Who Fell at Maiwand
A picture recently finished, a bit unusual and off the beaten track for me but couldn't resist the challenge. Jack Fletcher, a member at the Victorian Military Society Group on FB had seen an original litho Memorial for the 24th Warwickshire Regiment who had fallen at Isandlwana. And was thinking how hard it would be to replicate for another regiment. Jack wrote "Essentially I'd change the regimental and Queens colours to the other regiment, capbadge, battle honours, dedicate it to the fallen from a different battle, ect but keep the general design the same."
I am familiar with the Memorial to the fallen of the 24th Warwickshire at Isandlwana 1879. But it's a very evocative image....when I first saw an example on the internet years ago. My immediate thoughts were mixed, I am familiar with the history of the battle....But what does one try to convey through a memoriam - about such loss and defeat? So Jack's intriguing request on FB got me thinking.....How to make a similar memorial to a regiment that had fallen at a different battle - In this case the fallen from the 66th Berkshire Regiment at the Battle of Maiwand in 1880. What is interesting the two battles are a year and a half apart. A heavy defeat, with significant loss of life, although not as high as at Isandlwana. The battle was remarkable for many reasons and an account is included in the Memoriam. So with the help of Jack Fletcher who provided the information and research, I embarked on a Memorial to the 66th at Maiwand. Most of the changes made are based on images from the time which I adapted for the memorial, the background is based on a litho of the battle field at Kushk-i-Nakud, (Which is also the name for the battle of Maiwand) I enjoyed the challenge and learning the history - and certainly gave me a work out technically speaking, a number of challenges to overcome. The original Memorial for the 24th at Isandlwana had a number of themes and ideas which worked visually but were specific to the 24th, which I could not include for a memorial to the 66th..space was limited to get things right. But now the memorial is done, one of the lasting impressions I have, is I think I have a greater appreciation what the Memorial means especially to the families of the soldiers who died. With no grave or burial in a nearby cemetery. The memorial would have meant a great deal and may well have been all they had to remember a dear loved one lost on a foreign field, their name recorded in a memorial and hung in family homes. One wonders why a similar image wasn't made for the Berkshire's at the time....perhaps the famous Maiwand Lion installed at Forbury Gardens 1884 for the fallen from the 66th (Berkshire) Regiment caught the attention more. But at least there is a pictorial Memorial to the 66th now. Thankyou to Jack Fletcher for inspiring the project and challenge to make a memoriam to the 66th!
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