Black, Jonathan (2016) "On the edge of two worlds" : conquerors or victims? Eric Kennington (1888-1960), national identity and the depiction of the 16th Battalion, Canadian-Scottish (Highlanders of Canada), 1919-1920. In: Crossing Borders, Crossing Boundries : 83rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Military History; 15 - 17 Apr 2016, Ottawa, Canada. (Unpublished)
Abstract
My 25 minute paper explored a huge oil painting commissioned from official British war artist Eric Kennington by Lord Beaverbrook of the Canadian War Memorials Scheme. The work, now in the collection of the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa, depicts a platoon from the 16th battalion Canadian-Scottish (Highlanders of Canada) marching across a wreckage-strewn battlefield in France in late 1918. What was particular interest to me and to my Canadian Audience was the conspicuous presence within the composition of two soldiers of Black African/West Indian descent and one Native (First Nation) Canadian. I explored how such individuals had found their way into the battalion when it was official policy of the Canadian Expeditionary Force not to accept non-white volunteers into the ranks of its units.
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