Enlistment thumb|Glass-blowers "Gathering" from the Furnace (1943) (Art.IWM ART LD 2851) At the outbreak of World War II, he applied to become a war artist, for he was keen to put his skills at the service of his country. He imagined An Exhibition by the Artist, Adolf Hitler, in which horrific images of war with ironic titles were offered as "artworks" by the Nazi leader. Although the drawings were bought by the British Ministry of Information, Peake's application was turned down and he was conscripted into the Army, where he served first with the Royal Artillery, then with the Royal Engineers. He began writing Titus Groan at this time.
Enlistment thumb|Glass-blowers "Gathering" from the Furnace (1943) (Art.IWM ART LD 2851) At the outbreak of World War II, he applied to become a war artist, for he was keen to put his skills at the service of his country. He imagined An Exhibition by the Artist, Adolf Hitler, in which horrific images of war with ironic titles were offered as "artworks" by the Nazi leader. Although the drawings were bought by the British Ministry of Information, Peake's application was turned down and he was conscripted into the Army, where he served first with the Royal Artillery, then with the Royal Engineers. He began writing Titus Groan at this time.