103 years ago today, The Battle of Vimy Ridge started (from the 9th to the 12th April 1917) which formed part of the Battle of Arras. #Arras103

Paul Nash painted this watercolour in late 1918 when he returned to France as an Official War Artist. He named the painting ‘Ruined Country: Old Battlefield, Vimy near
La Folie Wood’.

I visited Vimy Ridge in May 2015 to see the landscape that Paul Nash had painted. The huge Canadian National
Vimy Memorial looks over the ridge & as
I looking down to the valley below, my eyes were
drawn towards the large, industrial city of
Lens and the twin pyramids.

Incredibly these pyramids are now on the UNESCO world treasure list. Huge slag heaps that are part of France’s mining
region and at least one of them could be seen during the First World War. They are now, locally referred to as the Black
Pyramids.

I also have a personal connection to Vimy Ridge. My Great Grandfather Duncan Rawlence is seen here in the summer of 1918 somewhere near Vimy Ridge with his horse Chunkie.
He became 2nd Lieut & served in the 838th Company of the Army Service Corps.

He ended up planting potatoes near Vimy Ridge which is where he dug up a Neolithic tooth and a lovely flint arrow head. He returned from active service in April 1919. Here is a sketch of his precious find, dating to about 2000 BC.

So I painted a landscape of Vimy Ridge for my Battlelines Redrawn Exhibition in 2018. Here it is, (in progress) & here is to the memory of all the people who lost their lives during this battle. #Arras103 #VimyRidge #ww1memories