The Timeless Tom

Posted on 22 Nov 2017
03 min read

The Timeless Tom

In celebration of the Third Battalion, The Parachute Regiment’s 75^th anniversary, the Cpls’, Sgt/WOs’ and Officers’ messes have commissioned the celebrated artist, David Rowlands, to create a painting that will be known as ‘The Timeless Tom’. The painting will represent the transition of the Battalion through the ages from Arnhem 1942 through to 2016. The composition will take the form of 10 soldiers dressed in the relevant order for the generation, the figures will be seen conversing with each other on an airfield with a C-130 in the middle ground and a Dakota dropping single stick Para in the far ground (See sketch below).

The original painting will be re-produced in the form of 75 special, limited edition copies. Each of the 75 copies will represent a year in the Battalion’s last 75 years. Therefore, print number 1/75 will be 1942, print 41/75 will be 1982 and print 62/75 will be 2003 etc. Each print will be signed by the artist and either a veteran or a celebrated figure of the associated year. The painting is due to be completed by the end of March 2018 with the 75 prints signed, mounted and framed by summer 2018. A selection of the 75 prints will then be available to purchase to the wider airborne community.

Capt Luke Shaw is in charge of the project and has now started the process of aligning suitable signees for each of the 75 prints. He is looking for veterans that have served in the Third Battalion in the last 75 years. If you are interested in signing one of these special limited edition prints please get in touch with him using the contact information below. Utrinque Paratus.