Lieutenant Geoffrey St. George Shillington Cather VC by Paul Wilson

This picture was commissioned by the officers of the 3rd and 8th Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment on the amalgamation of the battalions in 2002.

The subject is Lt Geoffrey St. George Shillington Cather VC.

The artist was selected by Captain Alison Seymore. Major Andy Hart, then the Battalion 2IC, briefed the artist on the subject and provided uniform references for an officer of the Royal Irish Fusilier in the Great War; this included a visit to the Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum in Armagh.

Despite this, the artist painted the subject (an attractive likeness), in the uniform of an Irish Volunteer!

Major Hart requested that the colour of the uniform be corrected and when the artist refused to do so, the painting was declined on the understanding that it might give offence to the family. Thus, it was something of a surprise, 16 years later, to discover the portrait on the regimental collection accession register and hanging in the Officers’ Mess of the 1st Battalion.