Portrait of a very modern military! Painting of the Yorkshire Regiment handing out Covid kits in a supermarket car park sparks amusement among soldiers who dub it ‘The Battle of York’s shift’
- Painting shows Yorks Regiment handing out Covid kits in supermarket car park
- Contrasts with inspiring artworks like depiction of charge of the light brigade
- ‘It was hardly Helmand Province, was it?’ said soldier who spoke to the Daily Mail
- MoD said Covid Support Force mission was ‘biggest peacetime operation ever’
As an epic vision of inspiring heroism and regimental honour, the painting of the Royal Scots Greys charging at the Battle of Waterloo is hard to beat.
It’s certainly difficult to imagine its modern equivalent – of the Yorkshire Regiment handing out Covid kits in a supermarket car park – inspiring any acts of bravery.
Apparently rejecting the idea that military art should depict fearlessness and gallantry, the painting shows troops from 4th Battalion, the Yorkshire Regiment (4 Yorks) in a low-key, civic role.
It has caused considerable amusement in the regiment, in particular among its regular soldiers, as the painting was commissioned by their reservist colleagues.
The painting has caused considerable amusement in the regiment, in particular among its regular soldiers, as the painting was commissioned by their reservist colleagues
‘It was hardly Helmand Province, was it?’ joked one soldier, who spoke to the Daily Mail on condition of anonymity.
He added: ‘There’s nothing wrong with the quality of the painting and I wouldn’t want the artist to feel bad about what’s being produced.
‘But we don’t put sheltering under an awning as we manned a mobile testing unit in the same bracket as being in battle.
‘So inevitably the blokes are taking the mickey out of it. It’s even been christened “The Battle of York’s shift”!’
The jokey title refers to the Battle of Rorke’s Drift in 1879 during the Anglo-Zulu War, when 150 British and colonial troops were attacked at a mission station by up to 4,000 Zulu warriors, whom they repelled repeatedly.
The soldier added: ‘It has been put in a gold frame, but I wouldn’t want it in my office. You can even see the white lines painted on the ground of the supermarket car park – not exactly a war zone. Paintings should only be commissioned after a tour of duty or to recognise true valour.
‘We are going to get slaughtered for this by other regiments. It is the reservists’ fault. I guess it was more of a big deal for them.’ Last night, even the artist sought to distance himself from the painting and asked not to be named.
His previous works accurately represented the courage of British soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq and have been well received.
As an epic vision of inspiring heroism and regimental honour, the painting of the Royal Scots Greys charging at the Battle of Waterloo is hard to beat
However, the subject matter on this occasion was rather more benign. In April 2020, the Ministry of Defence mobilised 3,000 reservists, including an estimated 100 troops from 4 Yorks, for an initial duration of six months to support the UK’s Covid response.
The MoD said its Covid Support Force mission was ‘the biggest peacetime operation ever’.
For the reservists this meant being stood down from their day jobs and – to reduce the risk to their families – being moved out of their homes and into their local Army Reserve centre. The troops then worked seven days a week to help administer thousands of Covid tests each day.
The Yorkshire Regiment can trace its lineage back to the 17th century, and its soldiers have received 38 Victoria Crosses – reflecting the sort of valour that inspired Lady Butler to paint the Royal Scots Greys charging into battle in 1815.
She created the painting, named Scotland Forever!, in 1881, and copies were given to Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. It remains one of the most lauded depictions of British soldiers ever created.
The Mail understands the 4 Yorks painting was paid for from regimental funds. The Ministry of Defence declined to comment.
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