Godfrey Douglas Giles

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Godfrey Douglas Giles (9 November 1857 Karachi - 1 February 1941), was a noted painter of horses, military scenes and battles, many experienced at first hand while on service with the British Army in India, Afghanistan, Egypt and South Africa. He produced numerous caricatures for the magazine Vanity Fair.

Giles was the son of Captain Edward Giles of the British Navy who was stationed at Karachi. He was sent to Sandhurst to launch his military career, and his first posting was in India in 1875. He saw action in the Second Afghan War and commanded Turkish cavalry at El Teb. Subsequently he served as captain in the Loyal Suffolk Hussars and the Artists' Rifle Corps.

Having attained the rank of Major, Godfrey Douglas Giles retired from the army in 1884 and went to Paris in 1885 where he studied under Carolus-Duran. He successfully exhibited paintings such as The Battle of Tamai and El Teb at the Paris Salon and the Royal Academy after which he settled in Newmarket where he was able to depict horses and horse-racing scenes. His illustrations also appeared in the weekly Black & White Budget in 1891.

After the outbreak of the Boer War in South Africa in 1899, Giles was sent there as war correspondent and artist by The Graphic and The Daily Graphic, and was attached to French's 1st Cavalry Brigade. He witnessed the surrender of General Piet Cronje after the Battle of Paardeberg, and was present at the subsequent relief of Kimberley. Later he wrote a piece for The Graphic titled "With French to Kimberley and Roberts to Bloemfontein" which appeared in The Graphic History of the South African War. Giles contributed greatly to the pictorial record of the Boer War with works on display in museums in both South Africa and England. He was awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal on 12 February 1903.