Press


Art Imitates Olley's Life
Publisher
Newcastle Herald
By
Jo Cooper
Date
10 September 2022
About
A brief explanation of the content.
Deirdre Bean's Sword
Publisher
The Gallipoli Gazette
By
Patrick O’Neill
Date
Winter 2023
About
Read the article below and here.
You may recall that the 2022 Gallipoli Art Prize was won by Deirdre Bean with her painting of a 1908 – Pattern British Cavalry sword.
It might surprise you to know that it was a weapon like this that struck the first blow by the British against the Germans, in the First World War.
It was 22nd of August 1914 near Mons, Belgium, and the war had only been going for about 4 weeks. Captain Beck Hornby was leading a squadron of the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards when he came across a German cavalry patrol. He charged the enemy and in the ensuing skirmish, became the first British soldier to kill a German soldier in the 1914-1918 war.
And he killed him with his sword. A 1908-Pattern cavalry sword!
This sword was developed at the beginning of the last century in an attempt to make a more effective cavalry weapon. The original cavalry sword had been a sabre with a curved blade. While seeing a regiment of dragoons, sabres drawn, charging towards you, it may have seemed a fearsome weapon. But in the cavalry actions of the 19th century, it actually did remarkably little damage.
During the Crimean and Boer wars, the British cavalry found that a thrusting weapon was far more effective than a slashing weapon; hence the development of the 1908-Pattern sword – Long. Straight and narrow. But with a very sharp tip.
While WW1 is better remembered as war of devastating artillery barrages and mass-killing machine-guns, it didn’t start out that way. In the first few months, with memories of the Franco-Prussian war still fresh in military minds, the Germans marched into battle in close order, with banners flying and drums beating. While the French infantry advanced wearing bright red trousers and their Cuirassiers rode into battle with polished breastplates, lances and sabres.
My grandfather Captain Arthur O’Neill of the 2nd Life Guards, was killed in the first Battle of Ypres. According to reports he was last seen alive charging the enemy with a pistol in one hand, a sword in the other (probably a 1908-pattern). Sadly we shall never know. Both he and his sword were recorded: ‘missing in action’.
Soon the industrial age guns turned the conflict into the static trench warfare we have all read about, and swords were largely banished to the parade ground.
The tragedy for the 1908-Pattern sword was that it arrived too late to have a chance to prove itself. But it certainly inspired Deidre Bean to create a superb art-work!
Publisher
Newcastle Herald
By
Phoebe Loomes and Ethan Hamilton
Date
April 2022
About
AN AMBITION to "relove" items of history has seen Newcastle's Deirdre Bean take home this year's Gallipoli Art Prize.
Photo credit
History re-loved: Winner of the 2022 Gallipoli Art Prize, Deirdre Bean, with her work 'Along the ride to Damascus'. Picture: AAP
Publisher
Sydney Morning Herald
By
Nick Galvin
Date
April 2017
About
Deirdre Bean's mangrove illustrations reflect a lifelong passion.
Publisher
St George and Sutherland Leader
By
Kate Carr
Date
April 2012
About
MANGROVES are the latest obsession of botanic artist Deirdre Bean.