The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Unfinished portrait of Flight Lieutenant (later Wing Commander) Bruce Rose (270), DFC, No. 248 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force.
During the Second World War, Sheila Hawkins worked in the Public Relations branch of RAAF Headquarters in London, where she began painting this portrait of Flt. Lt. Rose. She was called suddenly to work in Secret Records for RAF Headquarters in Wales, and had to abandon the painting. When she finally returned to London, the makeshift studio, in which she started four portraits of Australian air men, had been dismantled. There was no sign of her work. In correspondence with the Australian War Memorial in the 1980s, Hawkins wrote that Flt. Lt. Rose had lost his leg when she met him, but that he retained tremdous humour about packing his "spare" in a long box, with which Hawkins recalled helping.
London, England. C. 1942. Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Bruce Rose, of Melbourne, Vic, studies his portrait painted at RAAF Overseas Headquarters by the artist, Sheila Hawkins (Mrs S. M. Bowden), formerl
Unfinished portrait of Squadron Leader (later Group Captain) Hugh Birch, DFC, MID (x2), No. 10 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Coastal Command. During the Second World War, Sheila Hawkins work
Unfinished portrait of Squadron Leader David William McCormack (400232), DFC, No. 273 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force. During the Second World War, Sheila Hawkins worked in the Public Relations
Unfinished portrait of Flying Officer John William McManus (415349), DFC, No 466 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Bomber Command. During the Second World War, Sheila Hawkins worked in the Publi
London, England. C. 1942. Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Bruce Rose, of Melbourne, Vic, studies his portrait painted at RAAF Overseas Headquarters by the artist, Sheila Hawkins (Mrs S. M. Bowden), formerl
Hampstead, London, England. c. 1944. Informal portrait of the artist Sheila Hawkins (later Bowden), painting at her easel in her studio. Hawkins worked in a civilian capacity at RAAF Headquarters in L
Depicts felled trees and shelter in the forests of Scotland, where Australian Forestry Units were stationed during the Second World War. Sheila Hawkins visited Scotland on two-weeks' leave from her jo