 Military Service in the Royal Artillery |
James William Liddell Lovegrove, eldest son of Brigadier Clifton George Lovegrove.
Date of Birth: 29th September 1922, Matilda Hospital, The Peak, Hong Kong.
Joined the 257th Field Battery, Royal Artillery (T) Lee Green, Middlesex, October 1936, aged 14 years. Mobilised for War as No.861783 Boy Lovegrove, 1st September 1939.
By special leave, took Higher Certificate examinations June 1940, having mustered Gunner at Shrapnel Barracks, Woolwich on attaining the age of 17.
After training at various Royal Artillery establishments, was posted to the 18th Field Regiment, R.A., and embarked at Liverpool for India circa April 1942.
Attended the School of Artillery, Belgaum, Maharatta State and was commissioned (War Emergency) on 12th September 1943 and promoted War Substantive Lieutenant on 12th March 1944.
Served in the 20th Indian Division, 14th Army, in Assam and North Burma, 1943-45. The 20th Indian Division was opposing the Japanese 15th Division at Tiddim, Imphal, Ukhrul and Kohima.
After one light and two severe bouts of malaria MT was removed to Base Hospitals at Poona and Secunderabad, and finally sent back to England in April 1945.
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| At Sea with Bill Tilman |
In 1957 Jim joined in an expedition to the South Atlantic by Major H.W.Tilman DSO, MC who had climbed Nanda Devi without oxygen in 1934 and every other well known peak bar the Matterhorn. Tilman was a contempary and co-climber of Spencer Chapman, and Eric Shipton (one of Jim's neighbours when he lived in North Wales).
The story of this voyage of 1957-58 is told in the book "Mischief goes South". The boat was a 40ft Bristol Channel Cutter built in 1908.
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| The Artist |
An aptitude for art evinced at school and practised during active War years was sufficient basis to use the Further Education provisions for serious study. He entered the Woolwich Polytechnic School of Art in September 1945, obtained an Exhibition Scholarship in drawing and etching in 1947, and was admitted to the Royal College of Art in September 1948, in the Department of Etching and Engraving.
In 1951 he obtained his Diploma A.R.C.A together with a fourth year continuation scholarship and was elected A.R.E in January 1952.
Jim exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1950 and 1951, and several other cities in the UK. He also participated in other eminent Society exhibitions in New York and Cape Town, but was unable to support himself financially through his art work and so had to concentrate on other pursuits.
Jim took up art again in 1991 and gave several successful exhibitions in Winchester and the Bankside Gallery, London.
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