Eric Kennington - War Artist
Whilst browsing through the Imperial War Museum art collection on their web site I noticed a portrait of Arthur H Roberts drawn by Eric Kennington. Roberts was Gunnery Leader with 103 Sq on Battles from June 1940 and then served with the Squadron at Newton and Elsham Wolds before moving on.
Sometime ago I was also sent another portrait by Kennington of 103 Sq Air Gunner Stephen Cox. The drawings of Roberts and Cox must have been completed at Newton at the same time. I later spotted he had also drawn a very fine portrait of Louis Strange as well.
Eric Kennington portraits of L to R - Stephen Cox, Arthur Roberts and Louis Strange
Eric Kennington was born in Chelsea in 1888, the son of the painter T B Kennington. In August 1914 he enlisted in the 1/13th (County of London) Battalion, the London Regiment – the Kensingtons.
He was wounded and eventually discharged as unfit for further service. During his convalescence he painted what many experts consider the finest painting to come out of WW1 - The Kensingtons at Lavantie. Interestingly it was painted on glass.
Kennington was subsequently appointed as one of the first official war artists and returned to the Western Front in 1917. He was noted for his fine drawings of ordinary soldiers.
After WW1 he accompanied T E Lawrence to the Middle East and made a number of drawings which were used to illustrate Lawrence's great book, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Between the wars Kennington became a leading sculptor.
In WW2 he resumed his duties as an official war artist and toured the United Kingdom creating a huge portfolio of memorable work including many portraits of airmen, famous and otherwise.
A full list of Kennington’s RAF subjects completed by 1942 also includes others with very significant 103/EW connections namely S/L I K P Cross DFC, G/C H A Constantine DSO and W/C R A C Carter DSO DFC. There may be one or two others.
Above - Ian K P Cross
Above - Robert Carter
Kennington was a most gifted war artist but perhaps better known for his sculpture. Being a former soldier himself, invalided out in 1915, he probably had more insight than some in his profession which is clearly evident in much of his work.
He drew many portraits during WW2 featuring the great and the good such as Harris and Portal, the famous and unsung, ordinary serviceman/woman and civilians going about their wartime duties.
Kennington’s work in both World Wars show his particular admiration of the heroism and spirit of ordinary men and women, an admiration which is most evident in the poster series 'Seeing it Through'.
He was a most talented man with a great sense of style and colour with an uncanny ability to capture the moment and personality of his subjects which adds to the fascination of his creations. I never tire of looking at his work.
A collection of some of Kennington’s wartime RAF portraits was published in 1942 for 12 shillings and 6 pence. I have recently acquired a copy on second hand
book market from the USA, at a very reasonable price I am pleased to say. Worth every penny.
The book includes 52 portraits. Sadly only four are in colour and, of those with 103/576 Sq connections, only Louis Strange is included.
I am rather surprised that nobody has since published a collection of Kennington’s work in book or portfolio form. There is a huge selection of excellent material to choose from.
I was interested to note that he had drawn a portrait of W/C R A C Carter DSO. That is a name I know will be familiar to some members. It prompted me to look up his career. This seems to have gone rather well.
Air Commodore R A C Carter CB DSO DFC MRAeS. A Wellington pilot with 150 Squadron and was awarded the DSO September 1941 followed by his DFC in June 1943 whilst Acting Group Captain No 103 Squadron. He later commanded RAF Grimsby and RAF Upwood.
He was Director of Personal Services (A) at the Air Ministry from June 1958 and from May 1961 AOA at RAF Germany (2nd TAF) HQ. He retired in April 1964.
Of Kennington's other subjects Constantine and Strange are of course well known.
Squadron Leader Ian K P Cross DFC was also another prominent subject. Cross was shot down in Feb 1942 during Operation Fuller when the German capital
ships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen made their dash up the Channel and back to the safety of their home ports. Ian Cross was one of the escapers murdered in the aftermath of the Great Escape in March 1944.
He was the brother of Air Chief Marshal Sir Kenneth "Bing" Cross KCB, CBE, DSO, DFC who in 1940 was OC No. 46 Sq (Hurricanes) at Bardufoss in Norway. He was one of three survivors of the Squadron when HMS Glorious was sunk in the Norwegian Sea , SW of Narvik after been hit by gunfire from the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Ken Cross survived a traumatic three days adrift on a Carley float before being picked up more dead than alive.
Written by David Fell
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