Showing soldiers in training and at the Front, these prints were described by one journalist as capturing ‘the spirit of our new, young army’. Kennington was probably chosen for this subject as he had himself enlisted with the 13th (Kensington) Battalion London Regiment and fought on the Western Front in France in 1914–1915. He was wounded and discharged as unfit in 1915. These prints do not attempt to depict the horror and tragedy of war; as in most of his war art, Kennington instead champions the common soldier.

This work forms part of the portfolio ‘The Great War: Britain’s Efforts and Ideals’, a series of 66 lithographic prints commissioned by the Ministry of Information in 1917. The series provides a broad and fascinating representation of Britain’s war objectives, military activities and effort on the Home Front.