[by Dan Peterson, Cardiff]
In February of this year model maker and animator, Tom Edgar. and I visited the Mametz Wood Memorial in northern France. The memorial was erected in 1987 by Welsh Artist Blacksmith David Petersen. It is a forged iron Welsh Dragon on top of a three metre stone plinth facing the Mametz Wood and tearing barbed wire with its front claws. It was commissioned by the South Wales Branch of the Western Front Association with funds raised by the public.
We were there to take photographs and gather measurements that would help Tom build a scale model of the memorial which is currently on display at The Firing Line Museum of the Welsh Soldier in Cardiff Castle as part of their Mametz Wood exhibition.
Mametz Wood was the objective of the 38th (Welsh) Division during the First Battle of the Somme. Attacking on the 7th July 1916 they were supposed to capture the woods within hours but strong fortifications, machine guns and shelling killed and injured over 400 soldiers before they reached the wood. It wasn't until the 12 July that the wood was effectively cleared of the enemy. The Welsh Division had lost around 4000 men killed or wounded in the engagement.
I drew this picture using graphite pencils and watercolour in my moleskine sketchbook while we were there. I postponed posting the image until today as today, 7th July 2016 is precisely 100 years since the first attack.
