MILITARY HISTORY PAINTING
1990A print of a painting of soldiers charging at an area known as the Nek in Gallipoli with a white border. On the lower left-hand side of white border is written: [George Lambert The charge of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade at the Nek]. On the lower right-hand side is written [Australian War Memorial (7965)].
There is a gold-coloured plaque centralised on the lower edge. Written on this is: [Presented to: / THE RETURNED SERVICES LEAGUE ARMADALE SUB-BRANCH / TO COMMEMORATE THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF GALLIPOLI / _ ANZAC DAY 1990 _].
Has number 4 written on the back.
The now Returned & Services League (R.S.L.) was initially called the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League of Australia (R.S.S.I.L.A.). It was formed nationally by World War 1 veterans in 1916 to provide support for veterans returned from military service. By 1919 or 1920 a sub-branch was formed in Armadale.
In 1990 the Armadale branch of the R.S.L donated a series of prints of paintings from the 1915 ANZAC campaign to the City of Armadale to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing.
This is a print of George Lamberts The Charge of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade at the Nek. Finished in 1924 the painting depicts the attack made by Australian forces against the Turks at the Nek. The Nek was a thin strip of raised land that connected two important landmarks of Russels Top and Baby 700. The plan was for naval ships and artillery to soften the Turkish positions before an infantry charge of dismounted troops. The attack failed with many soldiers dying not far from the trenches as the bombardment finished 7 minutes early, giving the Turks time to prepare for an attack.
George Lambert was an Australian artist who was commissioned by the Australian War Memorial as a war artist in 1919. He would create a series of paintings of events at Gallipoli for the War Memorial that is displayed today.
