On the outbreak of the Second World War, George Fullard joined the 17th/21st Lancers despite an offered place at the Royal College of Art. In the Battle of Monte Cassino, Fullard's tank was hit and he was badly injured, never regaining the full use of his left arm and hand. After the war Fullard returned to the Royal College of Art, later becoming head of the sculpture department at Chelsea School of Art where he worked for the last ten years of his life. The ‘Cross of Saint George’ was directly inspired by Fullard's wartime experiences. The broken cross represents shattered peace and reflects the artist's broken mind and body. Fragment and litter symbolise war damage, while the wheeled base recalls more primitive images of war chariots than the tanks Fullard knew.