Portrait Of A Great War Canadian Army Officer - Lieutenant Colonel J. W. Forbes

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Oil Painting Portrait of Lieutenant Colonel J.W. Forbes, DSO, 48th Highlanders, Canadian Expeditionary Force, Circa 1917

An oil painting of Lieutenant Colonel J.W. Forbes, DSO, of the 48th Highlanders, Canadian Expeditionary Force, circa 1917. The portrait shows Forbes in uniform with a diced glengarry, circular bronze collar badges, and drab breeches, consistent with Canadian Scottish regiments during the First World War. The canvas measures 90.5 cm high by 60 cm wide and features a London canvas manufacturer’s stamp on the reverse.

The painting is believed to have been created around 1917, following Forbes’s promotion to acting Lieutenant Colonel of the 48th Highlanders. While the artist remains unknown, the details align with photographs of Forbes from the era.

Biography: Lieutenant Colonel James Wallace Forbes, DSO, was born in Moncton, NB, in 1878. Educated at Mt. Allison University in Sackville, he served in the 106th Regiment of the pre-war militia. He moved to Manitoba in 1908, where he was employed by the Dominion Government. He joined the 15th Battalion after the Second Battle of Ypres as a Captain from the 10th Battalion, arriving with the same reinforcement drafts that included LCol Bent. Major Forbes participated in every major engagement of the 15th Battalion, sustaining wounds at Observatory Ridge in 1916 and Arras in 1918. He was awarded a DSO in 1917 for leadership in the field and was Mentioned in Dispatches three times.

Forbes briefly commanded the 15th Battalion twice: first in October 1917 as Officer Commanding while LCol Bent commanded the 3rd Brigade, and again in December 1917 as Acting LCol when Bent was on a three-month leave to Canada. Both times, he reverted to Major upon Bent's return. After the war, Forbes returned to Manitoba, where he served as Demobilization Officer for Manitoba and Western Ontario before resuming his pre-war role with the Customs and Excise Department. In 1924, he became Commissioner of the Manitoba Red Cross. Forbes died in Toronto in 1937 and is commemorated by Forbes Road in Winnipeg.

Note on Medals: It is believed the artist may have mistakenly depicted Forbes with the Croix de Guerre alongside the DSO. However, records confirm that he was Mentioned in Dispatches three times and awarded the DSO but did not receive the Croix de Guerre.

The uniform and insignia, including the diced glengarry, circular bronze collar badges, and circular glengarry badge, are consistent with Canadian Scottish regiments, verified through consultation with Canadian military historians and photographic evidence. No other officer from the period matches the likeness or uniform depicted in the painting.

Additional Context: Canadian Scottish regiments, such as the 48th Highlanders, wore traditional Scottish uniforms, adhered to Scottish customs, and were often composed of Scottish immigrants who migrated to Canada in the late 19th century.

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