In memory of Grant Michaelis

Depicts a battle scene on the Western Front during the First World War with soldiers, including some wounded, travelling up a road. The work was painted by G T Thompson in memory of Lt. Grant Moritz Michaelis, who served with the 1st/2nd East Anglican Field Company, Royal Engineers with the British Army during the First World War. Michaelis was born in Victoria, educated at Geelong Grammar School and was employed in the family firm, Michaelis, Hallenstein & Co. in London. He enlisted in the Territorial Force as a Sapper in the 1st East Anglian Field Company on 30 May 1912, commissioned in the 2nd East Anglian Field Company on 21 December 1912, promoted Lieutenant on 31 March 1914 and mobilized on 5 August 1914. His unit was sent to Gallipoli, and on 23 September 1915, while repairing part of a trench in the Anzac area, he was mortally wounded by a Turkish sniper and died later that day. He was buried by some of the NCOs and men of his section that night in the 7th (Australian) Field Ambulance Cemetery , Gallipoli, Turkey, beside another officer of the same unit. The soldiers and artillery in the scene have been identified. The grey coloured field gun is a German C96 77mm gun and crew. There are several men lying on the ground in the scene in grey uniforms and these are German soldiers. The scene depicts the British Commonwealth/Dominion troops (wearing brown uniforms and tin helmets) over running the field artillery column of Germans. This is taking place on the Western Front and after the introduction of the ¿brodie¿ style combat helmet in 1916 worn by British soldiers. The tactical situation depicted in the scene (with British Infantry soldiers over-running unprepared German artillery) was not typically faced by British Commonwealth troops until the famous '100 days offensive' which started on 8 August 1918 and ended on 11 November 1918.