Commission Complete: Lt. Gemmel of Beechlands

Lt. Gemmel of Beechlands, 24"x36", oil on canvas, copyright Jessica Libor 2011

This week, I finished this portrait of Lt. Kenneth Alexander Gemmel of Beechlands, Liverpool.  This guy has an interesting history.  He died in combat shortly after the original portrait was painted (the above is my own master copy of the original).  At his death, he was only twenty three years old.

He was born in 1892 and died 16/06/1915.  He served in the 10th BN The Kings (Liverpool Regiment), Son of John Edward and Margaret Ann Gemmell, of “Beechlands,” Mossley Hill, Liverpool.  The family came from Ayrshire and moved to Liverpool. His 2 other brothers also served in the Great War and died in the same year.

Lt. Gemmel was killed in the first major battalion action of the Liverpool Scottish.  He was in Belgium on the 16th June 1915, in what is officially known as ‘The First Action at Bellewaarde’ which was designed to pin down German reserves while there were British and French attacks elsewhere.  This battle in The Liverpool Scottish is known as ‘The Battle of Hooge’. Hooge is a village is a few miles East of Ieper (Ypres), built around the Menin Road. The Battalion moved off into the attack uphill towards Bellewaarde Farm in this engagement.

Left to right are Capt. CP James (Adjutant and observing through armoured slit), Capt. AS Anderson (Company Commander), an unknown private, Lt. Kenneth Gemmell and Lt Col JR Davidson.

The client’s grandfather served in the same battle, but survived.