Maj. Godfrey Douglas GILES [13086]

  General Notes:

Godfrey was a painter of horses, military scenes and battles, many experienced at first hand while on service with the British Army in India, Afghanistan, Egypt and South Africa. He produced numerous caricatures for the magazine Vanity Fair.

Giles was the son of Captain Edward Giles of the Royal Navy who was stationed at Karachi. Godfrey Douglas Giles was a boarding boy at Cheltenham. He was sent to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, to launch his military career, and his first posting was in India in 1875. He saw action in the Second Afghan War with the 1st Sind Horse and the 19th Native Infantry, chiefly on the Khleat and Kandahar fronts, and according to one obituary notice, had been present at Maiwand. He certainly was present at the battle of Khuski-Nakhud in February 1879 and later painted the Charge of the Scinde Horse at Khuski-Nakhud. He also painted a scene of E/B Battery Royal Horse Artillery at Maiwand which was exhibited in 1893. It was drawn from details supplied by RSM Paton and Sergeant Mullane, VC who had been with the battery.


Battle of El Teb (Godfrey Douglas Giles)
He accompanied the Gordon Relief Expedition to Sudan and commanded Turkish cavalry at El Teb. Giles also provided a sketch of the battle which was the basis for a large fold-out panorama of the battle published in The Graphic on 1 March 1884, and began painting a scene of the battle when he returned to Cairo shortly after the event. He was also present at the battle of Tamai, and later received a commission from Lieut. P.S. Marling of the 60th Rifles depicting the latter saving Private Morley of the 35th Regiment for which Marling received the Victoria Cross. Subsequently Giles served as captain in the Loyal Suffolk Hussars and the Artists' Rifle Corps.

Having attained the rank of Major, Godfrey Douglas Giles retired from the army in 1884 and went to Paris in 1885 where he studied under Carolus-Duran. He successfully exhibited paintings such as The Battle of Tamai and El Teb at the Paris Salon and the Royal Academy after which he settled in Newmarket where he was able to depict horses and horse-racing scenes. His illustrations also appeared in the weekly Black & White Budget in 1891.

After the outbreak of the Boer War in South Africa in 1899, Giles was sent there as war correspondent and artist by The Graphic and the Daily Graphic, and was attached to French's 1st Cavalry Brigade. He witnessed the surrender of General Piet Cronjé after the Battle of Paardeberg, and was present at the subsequent relief of Kimberley. Later he wrote a piece for The Graphic titled "With French to Kimberley and Roberts to Bloemfontein" which appeared in The Graphic History of the South African War. Giles contributed greatly to the pictorial record of the Boer War with works on display in museums in both South Africa and England. He was awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal on 12 February 1903.

Giles died at the age of 83 in Edinburgh on 1 February 1941.
Wikipedia

Godfrey Douglas Giles
Birth Date: 9 Nov 1857
Baptism Date: 28 Dec 1857
Baptism Place: Kurrachee, Bombay, India
Father: Edward Giles
Mother: Emily
FHL Film Number: 523916

Godfrey Douglas Giles
Initiation Age: 30
Birth Year: abt 1857
Initiation Date: 6 Dec 1887
First Payment Year on Register: 1887
Year Range: 1863-1887
Profession: Retired Major of Tile St Chelsea
Lodge: Savage Club Lodge (Freemasons)
Lodge Number: 2190
Folio Number: 140

  Other Records

1. Census: England, 2 Apr 1911, Douglas Lodge Newmarket CAM. Godfrey is recorded as head of a 12 room house aged 53 married an artist working from home born Kurrachee India

2. Godfrey Douglas Giles: Art work.
Godfrey was a prolific artist, particularly of horse and military subjects.

Charge of the Heavy Brigade Balaclava, The Puppy Show, A Rum One To Follow 1911, The Governor Generals Bodyguard 1890.

Ref: https://www.google.com/search?q=godfrey+douglas+giles+art&rlz=1C1GCEA_enNZ930NZ930&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiR58XempbwAhXFAnIKHSFXCJsQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1920&bih=937

Godfrey married Alice Evelyn BARCLAY [15311] [MRIN: 5441], daughter of George BARCLAY [29310] and Evelyn BERRY [29311]. (Alice Evelyn BARCLAY [15311] was born circa 1858 in Portobello Scotland and died on 9 Aug 1934 in Edinburgh.)