| Place | Asia: Netherlands East Indies, Halmahera Island, Morotai Island |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | ART95026 |
| Collection type | Art |
| Measurement | Overall: 44.3 x 60.4 cm |
| Object type | Work on paper |
| Physical description | watercolour and pencil on paper |
| Maker |
Pidgeon, William Edwin (WEP) |
| Place made | Netherlands East Indies: Halmahera Island, Morotai Island |
| Date made | 1945 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: AWM Licensed copyright |
[Study of a Beaufighter lining up for takeoff at Morotai air strip]
Description
Depicts a Beaufighter airoplane on the airstrip at Morotai, Indonesia, about to take off. William Edwin Pidgeon ('WEP') (1909-1981) was a painter, cartoonist, illustrator and newspaper critic. In 1926 as a 16 yr old, he became a cadet newspaper artist with the 'Sunday News' and began his professional career working for a number of newspapers. During the Second World War, he became a war correspondant with Consolidated Press, contributing illustrations that were published in the 'Australian Women's Weekly' magazine. His images, with their sardonic humour, richly conveyed the lives and personalities of Australian troops during the Second World War.