Henry Lamb: Irish Troops in the Judaean Hills Surprised By A Turkish Bombardment

IWM ART 2746

Henry Lamb was an artist who served as a medical officer during the First World War. He was approached with this commission in early 1918, but the War Office was reluctant to release him from active service. Transferred from Palestine to the Western Front, Lamb was badly gassed shortly before the Armistice. It was only after his demobilisation in March 1919 that he was able to begin the painting.

The scene is based on Lamb’s experiences in Palestine. Through the use of an elevated viewpoint, he cleverly highlights the trajectory of the Turkish artillery shells raining down on the Irish soldiers. He also reveals the terror and vulnerability of the men surprised by shellfire on the stony hillside.

1919, 1834 mm x 2197 mm