Medical inspection, Morotai

Painted by Consolidated press's war correspondent ,Wep, this painting is a depiction of a medical inspection tent at night in Morotai. One of a series of paintings the artist did showing various aspects of life on RAAF airstrips in the South West Pacific region. Of it he said 'Twice a day you'll find the medical inspection tent well patronised by sufferers from equatorial ills. Slightest scratch needs attention.' This sketch was reproduced in 'the Australian Women's Weekly' April 21 1945 in a feature titled ' On Island Airstrips of the Pacific'. William Edwin Pidgeon (1909-1981) was a painter, cartoonist, illustrator and newspaper critic. Working with Consolidated Press, he was appointed a war correspondant and artist in 1943. He became renowned for his cartoons signed with his initials, 'WEP'. During the Second World War many of his illustrations were published in the 'Australian Women's Weekly' and on the cover of the magazine. His humourous works conveyed the lives, personalities and conditions under which Australian troops served in Darwin, New Guinea and Borneo. During the Second World War he also contributed cartoons to the Army periodical, SALT. After the war he continued to provide illustrations for books during the 1950s, but mainly concentrated on portrait painting. He won the Archibald Prize in 1958, 1961 and again in 1968 for a portrait of fellow artist Lloyd Rees. From 1974-79 he served as the art critic for the 'Sunday Telegraph' newspaper.