ONE MAN’S WAR

George Bain in the Balkans 1917-1918

The work of the artist George Bain (1881-1968)gives us a personal view of life on the Balkan Front during World War I.

100 years ago this year, Bain joined the British Salonika Force in Macedonia and Bulgaria. Bain was initially a draughtsman in the Royal Engineers, but soon found his artistic skills put to other use.

He made stage sets and costumes for the army theatre and may have drawn maps of the enemy lines. In his spare time he painted landscapes and local people. He also drew cartoons that poked fun at army life.

His pictures show life, colour, and the view of an ordinary soldier in contrast to official accounts of the Balkan Front.