Name/Title
1945 - “CGG back from Germany” Painted by Captain Bruno J. Bobak, CM, RCA (1923-2012)Description
“CGG back from Germany” 1945 Painted by Captain Bruno J. Bobak, CM, RCA (1923-2021)
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Bruno Bobak, CM RCA (born Bronislaw Jacob Bobak; 27 December 1923 – 24 September 2012) was a Polish-born Canadian Official war artist and art teacher. His main medium was watercolor painting, and he also produced woodcuts. Bruno Bobak enlisted in the Canadian army in 1943 at the age of 20. As an amateur artist who sketched his bunk mates for extra money, he came to the attention of the Historical Section at Canadian Military Headquarters in London and was taken on strength as a service artist. After completing officer training in the summer of 1944, he became an official war artist and served with 4th Canadian Armoured Division from December 1944 to July 1945. The two years he spent as a war artist provided him with the equivalent of the art schooling he had never had and it allowed him to become a painter, which he continued to be for the next seven richly productive decades.
DYK?
All CGG tanks in WW2 had individual names that started with the letter "G". The names of all CGG tanks are listed on page 427 of our latest Regimental history Soldiers of the Queen by BGen Patterson, published in 2009. I cannot list all here, but here is a sampling: Grenadier, Guardsman, Gladiator, Goliath, Glorious. in Regt. HQ, Female names for No. 1 Sqn., Animals, including some mythical, in No. 2 Sqn, and Canadian Geographic place names in No. 3. All beginning with "G". Only one tank, "Ginny" from No. 1 Sqn. survived the whole war. She had traveled 4,200 miles, worn out 2 engines and 3 sets of tracks, had survived being hit by all of a rocket launcher, an 88 mm shell and a mortar bomb. Was commanded by Gdsm. R.B. Naylor DCM. an original enlisted in CGG from July 1940.Created By
Lieutenant Michael Hayes-Rivet, retired.Create Date
May 26, 2022Updated By
R. John Dolbec C/Sgt. (ret.)Update Date
February 19, 2026