My earliest military commission was way back in 1973. At the time I was serving in the Signals Troop supporting 20 Maritime Regiment, Royal Corps of Transport. I was a ship’s Radio Operator working in the land based Communication Centre or on board the Landing Craft Tank (LCT) vessels. I was commissioned to do an oil painting of one of the LCT’s by one of the lads. I did the painting on canvas card and struggled with it, because I’d never worked in oils before. I eventually got the hang of the medium and developed a style of my own. I was commissioned on numerous occasions while I was down there in sunny Gosport, Hampshire – earning me valued beer money.
In 1976 I was posted to Germany, where I became good friends with Corporal Miros Hodges. (5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards). Miros commissioned me to do a painting of a Chieftain Main Battle tank, in a West German exercise scene (pine forest etc). He was overjoyed with the result, and to be honest, I got a kick out of doing it. I only charged him for the materials and an Orange Handbag (six-pack of Herforder beer).
Because I’m from a military background I can relate with military clients, and therefore guarantee a desired result. Take a look at the gallery below for some of the examples of my military commissions. Again, some of the older pictures are scanned images of 35mm Roll Film and the quality is not the best.
Oil on canvas showing Hummel Jammers of 1 Squadron deploying to an abandoned Iraqi defensive position. Commissioned by OC 1 Squadron on return
Oil on canvas. Op Granby (first gulf war). Commissioned by Sergeants mess Hohne.
Limited edition prints made
Artist donated unsold prints to the Royal Corps of Signals Museum shop
Acrylic on deep frame canvas of the main vessels (LCTs, LCLs and ASL)
operated by the Regiment while based at St George Barracks, Gosport Hants from 1965 to 1989
Original is for sale (30 ” x 36″)
Limited edition prints (20″ x 26″ – example shown) are available to purchase.
Contact Merv for details on the original and prints.
Collage in Oils depicting deployment roles of the regiment (global)
prior to changing to Electronic Warfare (EW) role.
Commissioned by the Officers mess.
Collage in OIls depicting deployment roles of the regiment in BAOR (Germany)
Commissioned by the Officers mess.
Oil on canvas
Presented to the Sergeants mess by the artist and framed by other departing members at the same time
Limited edition print (400) produced for Regimental PRI (sold out)
(This is a photograph of the original artwork with thanks to Tinks Taylor @tinkstaylorphoto)
OIl on canvas showing a detachment from the British Army Of the Rhine
Communications security assessment team deploying in
Poland during a NATO exercise. in the early 90’s
Commissioned by Scott Yuill
Collage in Oils depicting the squadron roles in Berlin before unification
of East and West Germany.
Limited edition prints made (sold out)
Pen and ink wash and line drawing for Christmas card cover,
Commissioned by the Regimental Shop (PRI) circa 1992/3
(Note: This statue now resides at the camp entrance
at Blandford Camp, Dorset home of the Royal School of Signals)
Operation Granby (1st Gulf War) 1991
Oil on canvas
Commissioned by the Officers Mess 7th Signal Regiment – 1 (BR) Corps Germany
Now hanging in the Officers Mess of 11th Signal Brigade (UK)