The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
The Kawana Hotel at Izu, Japan, is a leave centre visited by members of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) and allied civilians. It was not until 1949-1950 that Colville became an official war artist. The Australian War Memorial facilitated Colville's joining the Australian troops occupying Japan. His project was to provide a record of the life and activities of the British Commonwealth Occupational Forces, which had been largely an Australian exercise. By the time Colville arrived in Japan, however, the Occupational Forces were being reduced; by June 1950 the remaining troops were sent to fight in the Korean War. Colville travelled with the troops, painting landscapes and scenes of Kure (near Hiroshima), Osaka, Tokyo and Yokohama in his inimitable impressionistic style of oil painting. Colville depicted barracks and buildings occupied by the troops, as well as hospitals, hostels and press rooms. Colville also depicted local sites such as Mount Fiji and the Temple at Osaka and the war's aftermath - the bomb sites of Hiroshima and the ANZAC war graves.
Depicts a Japanese pagoda in Osaka, Japan. It was not until 1949-1950 that Colville became an official war artist. The Australian War Memorial facilitated Colville's joining the Australian troops oc
Depicts a painting of the Sergeants mess (old and new) of the BCOF Headquarters with the Roman Catholic church in the background. It was not until 1949-1950 that Colville became an official war artist
At Ito Peninsula, Japan, the Kawana Hotel was opened for BCOF troops and their dependants as leave centres. The hotel catered for swimming, golf, theatre, reading rooms and other hobbies.
Australian troops boating on Lake Chuzenji, in the Nikko area of Japan, 80 miles north of Tokyo during leave stay at the "Lakeside Hotel", one of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) chain
A rare image of an auxiliary unit of the colonial navy of Victoria depicted at a port in Melbourne. The Steamship Lady Loch was built for the Victorian Government as a customs cruiser and lighthouse t
Josiah Francis, Australian Minister for the Army (right), is on a tour of Australian forces in Japan and Korea in December 1951. During his trip he is inspecting troops, conditions and equipment, as w
