Combat Artists and Combat Artworks

Included in this lot is a photograph of the drawing made from crushed pencil leads entitled Inside the Mosque.  It depicts the interior of a mosque converted into a Church of England chapel by POWs in the 18th Division area. It is believed to be the only mosque in the world ever used by the Church of England.  Furnishings were made by sick and handicapped POWs.  It was used by members of the Royal Artillery and others for worship, and was the only place where meetings were authorized by the Japanese.  This photo appears to be a mirror image of the original artwork.

The poster at the top is a broadside announcing the exhibition. 23 by 12-1/2 inches overall.

The second photo is entitled Major Fagan and the Operating Theatre. It depicts the "F" Force Hospital in Siam. All operations were done in the open on a bamboo platform because of lack of space and light in the hospital. This picture shows Major Fagan scraping a tropical ulcer with an ordinary tablespoon, which was the only instrument available. The original painting was made with Japanese black boot polish and rendered on the back of a sheet of music.  Photo is 9-3/4 by 13 inches.   14-1/2 by 14 inches overall.

The next photo is shows a Church of England Service in one of the Court-Yards, Changi Gaol entitled Please God set us free. It shows Padre Young, of Kirk Deighton, Leeds. The original was rendered with crayon and wash on black paper.  Photo 12 by 14 inches.  15-1/2 inches square overall.

The next photo is of The Java Lines Singapore. All POWs in transit from Java to the Hell Railway in Siam were halted and concentrated here. Photo is 10-1/2 by 14 inches.  12 by 20 inches overall

The next photo was a rendition of Thrale's daughter (not yet born), done in a moment of inspiration.  Thrale wondered whether he was psychic, as the image is nearly identical to the appearance of his daughter (seen in the inset photo at the lower right). 15 by 12 (approximately).  Small photo is 2-1/2 by 4 inches.  14 by 20 inches overall.

The last board is a composite of several other Thrale paintings shown at the exhibition in a period clipping from the London Illustrated News describing the exhibition.  It is dated January 6, 1946.  16 by 21 inches overall.

Most of the photographs are captioned and paraphrased above.

The condition is generally very good to near excellent on most pieces, with some fading from age.

The clipping shows some tattering at the edges.

This painting depicts a heavy German Anti-Tank Self-Propelled Gun (it looks like a Jagdtiger, sJPzAbt.512) in deep snow.

It measures 15 by 20 inches and it is art paper mounted on heavy weight artist board.

There are some smudges and soiling, as it was rendered in theater.

This painting depicts a crashed and burning German Messerschmitt Me-262 fighter jet in deep snow.  The tail and canopy are distinctive and identify the plane despite the lack of wings showing in the photo.  The wings and engines may have been intentionally omitted for security reasons.

It measures 15 by 20 inches and it is art paper mounted on heavy weight artist board.

There are some smudges and soiling, and some minor wrinkles, as it was rendered in theater.

This painting depicts a group of US GIs in makeshift snow camouflage in trenches at the Battle of the Bulge near a Bastogne Belgium forest denuded by heavy artillery fire.  The GIs are seen wearing white sheets and have bayonets fixed awaiting the orders to move up.

It measures 15 by 20 inches and it is art paper mounted on heavy weight artist board.

There are some smudges and soiling, and some minor wrinkles, as it was rendered in theater.

This painting depicts an M4 Sherman tank advancing under fire at the Battle of the Bulge near a Bastogne Belgium.  9th Infantry GIs are seen hunkered down as the tank fires.  Shells are bursting all around, and there is the heavy haze of smoke and fires burning in the background.

It measures 17-1/2 by 23 inches and it is art paper mounted on heavy weight artist board.

There are some smudges and soiling, and some minor wrinkles, as it was rendered in theater.

This drawing depicts a forward mortar position with three spotters and four crewmen. It is signed at the lower right.

It measures 8-1/2 by 11-1/4 inches in a 12-1/4 by 15-1/4 inch frame and it is double matted.

There is some slight discoloration from the fixer used, as it was rendered in theater.

This drawing depicts GIs in various uniforms playing cards in garrison. It is not signed.

It measures 8-1/2 by 11-1/4 inches in a 14 by 17 inch frame and it is double matted.

The painting was rendered in theater, however it is in near excellent overall condition, with bright vivid colors.

This painting depicts a pair of British commandos, one armed with a PIAT antitank gun, the other with a Thompson submachine gun. They are attacking an advancing German armored column with troop transports, prime mover, and panzer tank at the back of the convoy.

It measures 11-3/4 by 17-1/2 inches and it is painted on heavy weight rough artist board.

There are some smudges and soiling, as it was rendered in theater.

This painting depicts a US GI in the act of throwing a pineapple hand grenade in the heat of combat in the desert.

It measures 12-1/2 by 18-1/2 inches and it is painted on heavy weight rough artist board.

There are some smudges and soiling, as it was rendered in theater.

An Original and Authentic 1941 Dated Combat Artist E. Harris Signed and Framed Oil Painting "Battle of El-Alamein"

This is nicely rendered oil on canvas of the battle in North Africa showing a number of German Pz.Kpfw. II tanks engaged in heavy combat against a fortified position. The German tanks are under severe fire, with a number of them shown in this chaotic scene.

The painting has been period framed in a painted and distressed frame. The artist's signature and the date are at the lower left.

The overall size of the frame is 20 by 16 inches. The painting appears to be approximately 13 by 17 inches.

The frame is in near very good condition, with some minor wear to the edges and corners. It is not covered nor matted.

This drawing depicts a forward mortar position with three spotters and four crewmen. It is apparently unsigned.

It measures 18 by 13-1/2 inches in a 18-1/4 by 22-1/4 inch frame and it is not matted.  The frame appears to have been the original first frame. It is gilt washed with carved floral repeating pattern molding

The colors are bright and there are very minor signs of fading.  There is one very slight and almost unnoticeable blemish above the middle wing of Richthofen's Fokker Dr.I triplane.  It is interesting to note the cowl is painted black.

This painting depicts the 121st Engineer Battalion when it was was redesignated as the 121st Engineer Regiment, DC National Guard, in 1922 on parade in Washington, DC in sleet and rain. It is apparently unsigned.

The 121st Engineer Battalion (Combat) were the first American forces to hit Omaha Beach on D-Day, landing at 0710 in the morning, ahead of the 116th Infantry Combat Team of the 29th Division. They suffered great losses in the early minutes of battle of Normandy.  Company A is based out of Prince Frederick County, Maryland.

It measures 14 by 10 inches in a 18-1/2 by 15 inch frame and it is not matted.  The frame appears to have been the original first frame. It is gilt washed with a repeating pattern molding

The colors are bright and there are very minor signs of fading.

(PRINT)

This drawing depicts a very cold group of French 1st Division soldiers standing in snow with division colors furled on stacked arms, standing in snow and ice of the Dardanelles, Gallipoli, Turkey in the winter of 1915.

It measures 21 by 15-1/2 inches in a 18-1/2 by 24 inch frame and it is matted.  The frame appears to have been the original first frame and the print mounted to composite fiber board. This is the signature and date.

The colors are somber and subdued and there are very minor signs of foxing from age.

This is an early painting from an unusual angle of Adolf Hitler in his brown uniform tunic.  By his haircut, it appears to have been rendered in the early 1930s.  This is a close-up of the artist's signature.

This painting has the provenance statement on the back of the four previous owners dating back to the original acquisition in 1941 and subsequent transfers in 1968 and 1973

It measures 14 by 18 inches and it is single matted in red.  The frame measures 19 by 23 inches. It is a light stained solid wood frame.

This is a mid-war rendering from an unusual angle of Adolf Hitler in his brown uniform shirt ant tie.

This painting has a preliminary pencil sketch that was never completed on the back of the page.

It measures 6-1/2 by 8-1/4 inches.  It is not mounted or framed.

This painting depicts a member of the foreign volunteers of the Waffen-SS in his M-43 cap with eagle and skull and double sigrune collar tab insignia.

It measures 14 by 9-1/2 inches and it is painted film mounted on heavy weight rough artist board.

There are some smudges and soiling, as it was rendered in theater.

This painting depicts a member of the German Youth with his tan uniform and black kerchief with slider.

It measures 15-3/4 by 11-5/8 inches and it is painted film mounted on heavy weight rough artist board.

There are some signs of age, and some very slight corner bumps that doesn't impact content and could be masked by proper framing.  The tan area at the upper right corner is not damage, it is part of the painting.

This painting depicts a member of the Condor Legion in his plain steel helmet cap with his bedroll and rifle. This is a close view of the art.

It measures 8 by 10 in a 14-1/2 by 11-1/2 inch gilded wood frame and it is double matted.  It was framed in the 1950s.

There are some very slight spots, as it was rendered in theater.