Moore rarely studied the male form, and there are only six life-size male figures amongst his body of work, three of which are warriors. These are not combatants in the traditional sense; none have weapons. This warrior, with his twisted, thin, fallen body, has only one limb, rendering him powerless. His visage has the angular suggestion of a helmet, yet ears are clearly visible, underlining his vulnerability and humanity.
Moore had lived through two world wars. As a nineteen year old during the First World War he was sent to the trenches in northern France and suffered the effects of a mustard gas attack, requiring him to be sent home to convalesce. During the Second World War relentless bombing drove many Londoners to take shelter in the network of tunnels deep underneath the city streets. Moore spent hours observing and making discreet notes of the huddled blanketed people in the London Underground. As a result of the sketches he made Moore was appointed as an official war artist, and later commissioned to produce seventeen large-scale drawings to be displayed in public galleries and museums throughout the UK.
Very fitting that this should be displayed by King William's Temple