The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
This work depicts the remains of a party of Japanese who crossed in canoes from the mainland of Borneo to the island of Labuan and hid in the swamps of Garankak. After carrying on commando tactics for several days they were eventually surprised by an A.I.F patrol who obliterated them. This was the last large party of Japanese that were met with on the island. This is a sketch for the painting 'Japanese dead from suicide raid, Labuan' (ART22857) of unidentified Japanese killed by AIF patrol during the Second World War. By late June 1945, Friend had made his first studies of the bodies of Japanese soldiers, who had been killed when they infiltrated the harbour area. These drawings included this simple pen and ink work showing tangled piles of bodies, on and under a makeshift platform or table like structure. For a few days towards the end of June 1945, Friend drew a number of sketches of the dead Japanese. In his Diary entry for 29 June 1945 he wrote; 'Did a highly successful drawing of a pile of corpses this morning...no gunfire, no rifle shots'.
Donald Friend accompanied the Australian forces which landed on the island of Labuan, off the coast of Borneo, in June 1945. The first drawings Friend produced on Labuan depicted the devastated lands
Donald Friend accompanied the Australian forces which landed on the island of Labuan, off the coast of Borneo, in June 1945. The first drawings Friend produced on Labuan depicted the devastated lands
LABUAN ISLAND. 21 JUNE 1945. ALLIED SOLDIERS VIEWING THE BODIES OF FOUR JAPANESE SOLDIERS, MEMBERS OF A PARTY WHO INFILTRATED INTO THE BEACH MAINTENANCE AREA DURING THE NIGHT. THIRTY ONE OF THE JAPANE
Sketch of unidentified Japanese killed by AIF patrol during the Second World War. This is a preparatory sketch for the final painting, 'Japanese dead from suicide raid, Labuan' [ART22857].
LABUAN ISLAND. 21 JUNE 1945. LIEUTENANT F W MORCOM, OFFICER COMMANDING 5 BOMB DISPOSAL PLATOON, SEARCHING THE BODY OF A JAPANESE SOLDIER FOR GRENADES OR EXPLOSIVES. AN ENEMY PARTY INFILTRATED INTO THE
LABUAN ISLAND. 21 JUNE 1945. LIEUTENANT F W MORCOM, OFFICER COMMANDING 5 BOMB DISPOSAL PLATOON, SEARCHING THE BODY OF A JAPANESE SOLDIER FOR GRENADES OR EXPLOSIVES. AN ENEMY PARTY INFILTRATED INTO THE
The bodies of two Japanese who were of a party who, after eluding capture for ten days after the landing on Labuan, formed up under a Japanese Colonel and made a desperate march into the town with the