A Perthshire artist is working on a poignant depiction of life in the trenches as a tribute to his grandfather, who lost his life in the First World War.
Private John Hutchison was 26 when he was killed at the Battle of Loos on September 25 1915.
One of the bloodiest battles of the conflict German machine guns killed 8,500 men in a single day the scene of soldiers before they go over the top into battle has been created by 76-year-old Ian Cuthbert Imrie of Bridge of Earn.
The death of Private Hutchison, a coal miner from Lanark, robbed Mr Imrie’s mother Helen of her father when she was only a young girl.
The scene is from Mr Imrie’s imagination but he has drawn on a member of his family as inspiration. He used the likeness of his nephew Lt Colonel Brian Cuthbert Imrie of the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers Hutchison’s great grandson for the figure in the foreground Ian Imrie also called on his nephew’s military knowledge to help bring the picture of the Battle of Loos to life.
“Brian helped with the authenticity,” said Mr Imrie. “I had to do a lot of research. The weapons and kit has to be accurate.
“The painting should be finished in the next few days. I have been working on it for about a month.”
Mr Imrie, a graduate of Duncan and Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee, intends to offer the work to the museum of the Highland Light Infantry the regiment his grandfather served with.
Prior to that, he is also hoping to exhibit the painting in Perth and would be glad to hear from anyone who think they have a suitable venue to show the work. Mr Imrie can be contacted on 01738 812423.
British losses at Loos were exceptionally high, with 50,000 casualties, including at least 20,000 deaths and chlorine gas was used for the first time by the British forces.
Among those lost in action was the only son of Rudyard Kipling the famous British writer and fervent supporter of Britain’s participation in the war.
The errors committed by the British high command at the Battle of Loos were not learnt from and were to be repeated on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.