Unloading supplies from the "MURRAMBIDGEE" for Liberated Singapore

Ernest Buckmaster was born in Hawthorn, Melbourne on July 3 1897. After being rejected for military service due to his physical frailty Buckmaster attended the National Gallery Art School from 1918-24. Ernest Buckmaster was first offered a position as an official war artist on January 20 1945, following the recommendation of the previous Director of the National Art Gallery of New South Wales, James Stuart Macdonald, though he did not accepted his appointment until August 24 1945, following the completion of a commission in New Zealand. Due to his age of 48 and poor health Buckmaster was not enlisted in the army and was accredited as a war correspondent. Despite being commissioned to paint the Japanese surrender, after a lengthy process preparing to be transported to Singapore, Buckmaster, along with a group of correspondents and photographers arrived two days after the surrender ceremony.

As soon as possible after the surrender of the Japanese, steps were taken to land supplies of all kinds in Singapore, not only for the liberated prisoners-of -war but also for the starving civilian population. Food had been very scarce for several years. This painitng depicts crucial supplies being offloaded from the Murrambidgee.