Wrecked ships, Tel Aviv

Depicts the hulks of two steamers, the Parita and the Tiger Hill with the seaport of Jaffa, Palestine (now Israel) in the background. This work is part of the Syrian campaign series that was produced in 1941. The Syrian Campaign involved Australian troops, mostly from the 7th Division, fighting alongside allied troops against the Vichy French in Syria and Lebanon. The heat of the atmosphere is palpable, and the hazy somnolence of the city belies the shoddy treatment of Jewish refugees at the hands of the British administration (Palestine was under British mandate at the time). The artist wrote: 'The steamers Parita and Tiger Hill, one carrying 800 and the other 1200 Middle European Jews, lie at the mercy of the waves at Tel Aviv. Permission to land was refused the refugees by the Palestine authorities, and the boats ran aground. All passengers managed to reach the shore unharmed. They remained in the country. Many have joined the army.'