Home Images and media photos Capture of the walls of Le Quesnoy, 1920

Capture of the walls of Le Quesnoy, 1920

<em>Capture of the walls of Le Quesnoy</em>, 1920

Capture of the walls of Le Quesnoy by George Edmund Butler, 1920.

Butler’s painting shows how the men of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade liberated the fortified town of Le Quesnoy on 4 November 1918. Rather than risk civilian lives with an artillery bombardment, the New Zealanders used a ladder to scale the walls surrounding the town. Not only does this painting illustrate the qualities of courage and initiative that came to define the achievements of the New Zealand soldiers, it also manages to capture a sense of the teamwork, solidarity and mateship that became one of the trademarks of the life among the Anzacs.

This image Appears In 2 Articles:

Keywords

WW1
le quesnoy liberation
war art
george butler
Credit

National Collection of War Art, Archives New Zealand
Reference: AAAC898 NCWA 535
Artist: George Edmund Butler
Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any reuse of this image.

How to cite this page

'Capture of the walls of Le Quesnoy, 1920', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/capture-le-quesnoy-painting, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 23-Feb-2015

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4 comments have been posted about Capture of the walls of Le Quesnoy, 1920

What do you know?

Tymon Bernard

Posted: 29 Jan 2023

My Great, great uncle 2lt Victor R. Bernard died on this day of the liberation of Le Quesnoy. I have correspondence in the form of actual letters between him and hus brother, my great great grandfather who was a gunner on another front in france from a few days before his death. Sobering having the actual letters knowing if it was my great, great grandfather who fell, I wouldn’t be here. Lest we forget. I Also have a letter with a hand drawn map from a commanding officer most likely indicating the place he fell and was buried temporarily just outside the town walls.

Anonymous

Posted: 17 Dec 2019

My husbands grandfather was at Le quesnoy - is there anywhere that I can purchase a copy of this print?

admin

Posted: 30 Jun 2014

Sancerre -there is a quote in Colonel Hugh Stewart, The New Zealand Division 1916-1919, Auckland, 1921, pp. 591–2 which suggests Harold Kerr was second on the ladder, followed by Barrowclough - you can find this quote here: http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1-Fran-t1-body1-d16.html#n667

Sancerre

Posted: 29 Jun 2014

My grandfather was in involved in the liberation of Le Quesnoy. He told his family he was second on the ladder, and this has been part of our family history. Is there anyway I can find out who the men were who were with Leslie Averill on the ladder?