[green cloth bound sketchbook]

Green Khaki cloth bound army issue war correspondent sketch book, held together with two brass screws. Front cover has faded red text in centre (illegible), and faded red border around edge. 31 pages, several of which are torn or damaged, made from two different types of paper cut to fit sketchbook. Sketchbook contains 25 sketches, 1 list of notes and 14 blank pages (one of which is torn in half). Subject matter includes landscapes, animals, figure studies and buildings in black and sepia ink, watercolour, wash, lead pencil and coloured pencil. Back inside cover of sketchbook: inscription in faded black ink, centre 'PLEASE / RETURN / TO (wep) / W.E. PIDGEON / c/o ARMY PUBLIC RELATIONS / OR / Daily Telegraph / Castlereach St / Sydney. William Edwin Pidgeon (1909-1981), known as 'WEP' was a war correspondent, painter, cartoonist and illustrator. During the Second World War many of his illustrations were published in the 'Australian Women's Weekly', which made him famous nationally. His works richly convey the lives and personalities of Australian troops and their experiences in Darwin (1943-44), New Guinea (Jan-Feb 1944) and Borneo and Morotai (Jan-Aug 1945). This work is one of over 400 items by WEP donated to the Memorial consisting of illustrated letters, paintings, sketches, drawings, photographs and ephemeral material related to his time as a war correspondent.

Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program by Peter and Elizabeth Pidgeon in memory of William Edwin Pidgeon 2014