Self portrait, the Sergeant

The artist used himself as a model for this image - a sergeant during the Second World War. With his right arm intact, he holds the straps of his backpack. It is anachronistic with Waller's traumatic experience during the First World War when he lost his right arm in action. Waller produced this work as part of a commission for a series of patriotic 'posters' for 'The Australasian' (Melbourne) which were published in 1942 and 1943. This image of the Sergeant was described as depicting "The digger of today", and was published on Saturday 12 September 1942.

Mervyn Napier Waller (1893-1972) was a printer, painter, mosaicist, teacher and designer. In August 1915 he enlisted in the 22nd Infantry Battalion, AIF and trained at the Royal Park Camp in Victoria before subsequently being transferred to the Artillery. In May 1916 he embarked as a 'Medic' to England via Durban to complete his military training on Salisbury Plain. At the end of 1916 he left for active service in France, serving with the 111th Howitzer Battery, 4th Division, AIF. He took part in a number of battles on the front line before being severely wounded in May 1917 at Bullecourt. His right arm had to be amputated at the shoulder and during his convalescence in France and England learnt to draw and write with his left hand. He returned to Australia in November 1917 and completed a series of 'War sketches in black and white, watercolour and oil', mostly done while on active service and in camp, some made after his injury and based on earlier sketches. These works were exhibited in 1918 and 1919 in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Hobart.