The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
On his last assignment as war correspondent Wep was sent to Borneo for two months. Here Jeeps were used in place of broken down steam engines to pull up to three cars. This sketch shows one with a group of Malays and Chinese travelling in the first one and soldiers in the second with a box car bringing up the rear. This humorous sketch was made leading up to a carnival day organised by the army for the children of the district at Beauford, Borneo soon after the end of the war in the Pacific. The carnival was described by Wep as being a fun filled event with '...pillow fights, obstacle races, lolly water, fireworks, Malay dancing and Chinese singing, jeep rides, speeches and fraternisation, Miss Beauford competition, and ceremonial tea-drinking - it was all there'. This sketch was reproduced in 'the Australian Women's Weekly' September 8 1945 to illustrate a feature by Wep describing his travels in Borneo and how the AIF troops received the news of peace. 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.
Depicts a study of a jeep train pulling out from the Beuufort railway station in Borneo. William Edwin Pidgeon ('WEP') (1909-1981) was a painter, cartoonist, illustrator and newspaper critic. In 1926
Sketch depicting the line up in the cafeteria of the American officer's mess at Fenton airstrip in Northwest Australia. Wep captured the activities of U.S Bomber Squadron 319 while on his first tour
Sketch of a tense moment on an airstrip in Northern Australia awaiting a plane reportedly coming in for emergency landing. Wep captured the activities of U.S Bomber Squadron 319 while on his first tou
Depicts the troop convoy of ships to the Middle East, heading out of the Heads, Sydney Harbour. William Edwin Pidgeon (1909-1981) was a painter, cartoonist, illustrator and newspaper critic. Working w
This is a study for Wep's painting 'Ascending the Pimple' (ART29338) captured by the artist during his time at 'Guy's Post' clearing station. In a letter home Wep described the landscape ' The scenery
A vivid and impressionistic oil sketch bringing to life a field hospital in Northern Australia described as being 'fully under canvas and capable of being moved at a moment's notice'. Several orderlie
