‘Havoc from the Heavens’

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   On 12 August, Dr Jonathan Black of Kingston University will discuss '‘Havoc from
the Heavens’: The Contribution of British Air Power to the Destruction of
Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Turkish Forces in 1918 through the eyes of British
War Artist Lieutenant Sydney Carline RAF.'

TALK OUTLINE
The
 lecture will argue that Sydney Carline (1888-1929), in the work he 
produced for the British Ministry of Information 1918-19, offered a 
unique perspective of the successful application of British airpower in 
the destruction of Austro-Hungarian Armies in North-Eastern Italy and of
 Ottoman Turkish forces in Palestine, September-October 1918.

Carline
 was the one official British war artist who was also a trained fighter 
pilot and had two kills to his credit by the end of the war. He 
volunteered for the RFC in 1915, flew during the Somme Campaign in 
August 1916 (and was shot down and seriously injured). Towards the end 
of 1917, he was posted as part of an RFC force of five (later increased 
to seven) squadrons sent in support of the British Expeditionary Force 
to Italy hurriedly dispatched to keep the country in the war after its 
catastrophic defeat at Caporetto in October-November 1917.

Between
 January and July 1918 Carline flew over a hundred combat missions over 
the Austro-Hungarian lines; in August 1918, he was appointed an official
 war artist by the Ministry of Information’s recently established RAF 
Fine Art Section understandably keen to promote the achievements of the 
new Royal Air Force.

Carline
 accompanied missions which strafed and bombed retreating 
Austro-Hungarian forces during the Battle of Vittorio Vento in 
October-November 1918. Carline described the RAF as having unleashed 
‘havoc from the heavens’ on the enemy, pursuing them ceaselessly to the 
point of utter disintegration.

After
 the war, Carline and his brother Richard were sent by the RAF to 
Palestine and Syria to record evidence for the significant role played 
by six (later nine) RAF and RAAF squadrons in the destruction of Ottoman
 forces in the area during Allenby’s September-October 1918. After three
 months they moved to Mesopotamia and accompanied RAF missions against 
rebellious Kurdish tribesmen. They recorded evidence of the new ‘air 
control’ policy of cost-cutting Imperial policing. The Carlines were 
recalled in November 1919 and Sydney held a well-received exhibition of 
over 300 works from Italy and the Middle East in London in March 1920.

LOCATION AND TIME
This lecture will be held in the RAF Museum lecture theatre at 12:30PM on Friday 12 August 2016.

TICKETS
This lecture is free of charge however we do ask that you pre-book a 
free ticket as seats are limited. Booking is quick and easy, we just 
need some basic contact information. 

BOOK YOUR TICKET HERE TODAY

ABOUT DR JONATHAN BLACK
Jonathan
 Black read History with History of Art at the University of Cambridge, 
then spent five years in the wine trade. Between 1997 and 2003, he 
obtained an MA and Ph.D. in History of Art from University College, 
London. Hi MA focused on the English Futurism of CRW Nevinson 
(1913-1916) while his Ph.D. explored the image of the British soldier, 
or 'Tommy', in the First World War Art of C.R.W. Nevinson, Eric 
Kennington, and Charles Sargeant Jagger.c 1915-1925. Jonathan has 
curated several exhibitions and his 2011 monograph, The Face of Courage: Eric Kennington, Portraiture and the Second World War,
 coincided with the opening of an exhibition with the same title at the 
Royal Air Force Museum. This exhibition comprised of 40 of Kennington's 
Second World War pastel drawings and lithographic prints. He is 
currently Senior Research Fellow in History of Art at Kingston 
University.

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RossM Members Profile Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Newbie Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Location: London Status: Offline Points: 21	Post Options Post Reply Quote RossM Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: ‘Havoc from the Heavens’ Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 11:52
	On 12 August, Dr Jonathan Black of Kingston University will discuss '‘Havoc from the Heavens’: The Contribution of British Air Power to the Destruction of Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Turkish Forces in 1918 through the eyes of British War Artist Lieutenant Sydney Carline RAF.' TALK OUTLINE The lecture will argue that Sydney Carline (1888-1929), in the work he produced for the British Ministry of Information 1918-19, offered a unique perspective of the successful application of British airpower in the destruction of Austro-Hungarian Armies in North-Eastern Italy and of Ottoman Turkish forces in Palestine, September-October 1918. Carline was the one official British war artist who was also a trained fighter pilot and had two kills to his credit by the end of the war. He volunteered for the RFC in 1915, flew during the Somme Campaign in August 1916 (and was shot down and seriously injured). Towards the end of 1917, he was posted as part of an RFC force of five (later increased to seven) squadrons sent in support of the British Expeditionary Force to Italy hurriedly dispatched to keep the country in the war after its catastrophic defeat at Caporetto in October-November 1917. Between January and July 1918 Carline flew over a hundred combat missions over the Austro-Hungarian lines; in August 1918, he was appointed an official war artist by the Ministry of Information’s recently established RAF Fine Art Section understandably keen to promote the achievements of the new Royal Air Force. Carline accompanied missions which strafed and bombed retreating Austro-Hungarian forces during the Battle of Vittorio Vento in October-November 1918. Carline described the RAF as having unleashed ‘havoc from the heavens’ on the enemy, pursuing them ceaselessly to the point of utter disintegration. After the war, Carline and his brother Richard were sent by the RAF to Palestine and Syria to record evidence for the significant role played by six (later nine) RAF and RAAF squadrons in the destruction of Ottoman forces in the area during Allenby’s September-October 1918. After three months they moved to Mesopotamia and accompanied RAF missions against rebellious Kurdish tribesmen. They recorded evidence of the new ‘air control’ policy of cost-cutting Imperial policing. The Carlines were recalled in November 1919 and Sydney held a well-received exhibition of over 300 works from Italy and the Middle East in London in March 1920. LOCATION AND TIME This lecture will be held in the RAF Museum lecture theatre at 12:30PM on Friday 12 August 2016. TICKETS This lecture is free of charge however we do ask that you pre-book a free ticket as seats are limited. Booking is quick and easy, we just need some basic contact information. BOOK YOUR TICKET HERE TODAY ABOUT DR JONATHAN BLACK Jonathan Black read History with History of Art at the University of Cambridge, then spent five years in the wine trade. Between 1997 and 2003, he obtained an MA and Ph.D. in History of Art from University College, London. Hi MA focused on the English Futurism of CRW Nevinson (1913-1916) while his Ph.D. explored the image of the British soldier, or 'Tommy', in the First World War Art of C.R.W. Nevinson, Eric Kennington, and Charles Sargeant Jagger.c 1915-1925. Jonathan has curated several exhibitions and his 2011 monograph, The Face of Courage: Eric Kennington, Portraiture and the Second World War, coincided with the opening of an exhibition with the same title at the Royal Air Force Museum. This exhibition comprised of 40 of Kennington's Second World War pastel drawings and lithographic prints. He is currently Senior Research Fellow in History of Art at Kingston University.

‘Havoc from the Heavens’

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