Forgotten beach head

Sketch of a beach head with barbed wire and boats in the distance; depicts the beach near the Australian base at Vung Tau. The image was painted by Dr. J Scott-Findlay, a doctor in Canberra, appointed surgeon at the 1st Australian Field Hospital, Vietnam. Before travelling to Vietnam, he discussed the possibility of the War Memorial acquiring paintings he was to execute in Vietnam. Writing to the then Director of the War Memorial, W R Lancaster (27 November 1970), Scott-Findlay noted of his work created in Vietnam: 'They will be modern and different but not so far out as to offend' (file: 419/091/007). When considering the acquisition of Scott-Findlay's Vietnam work, W R Lancaster sought the advice of fellow artist and War Memorial art advisor, William Dargie, who indicated (21 September 1971) that he thought his work to be 'exhibitable only because of some quaint primitive quality or some topicality of subject matter...you may judge his works to have considerable value as archival material for future historians' (file: 419/091/007). Despite this, the works were accepted for acquisition in 1971, along with slides of surgical teams at work and other medical subjects in Vietnam.