You Clot! Aren't You Jealous
Art AWM2017.130.10The artist of this drawing was Bill Fordyce, a survivor from 'The Great Escape', a mass escape of World War II allied prisoners made famous by the movie starring Steve McQueen. Fordyce, a pilot and co
A Kriegie Christmas Accession Number: AWM2017.130.11
Description
The artist of this drawing was Bill Fordyce, a survivor from 'The Great Escape', a mass escape of World War II allied prisoners made famous by the movie starring Steve McQueen.
Fordyce, a pilot and commercial artist, was captured and imprisoned in Italy and moved to Stalag Luft III in Poland with other captured RAAF aviators. It was from here that he and 200 other men planned to escape.
They dug elaborate tunnels and eventually succeeded in staging a mass breakout. German guards discovered the escape operation and recaptured 50 of the 76 allied prisoner escapees, including five Australians, who were all shot and killed on orders of Hitler.
Fordyce was billeted to be the 86th escapee and was the last into the tunnel. He made it back through the tunnel and into the camp undetected after German guards discovered the escape and began to shoot into the tunnel.
Fordyce produced a series of caricatures of his fellow prisoners of war in Stalag Luft III. Drawn with dignity and care, the caricatures include symbols related to each man's personality and story.
Details
Accession Number
AWM2017.130.11
Classification
Art
Object Type
Work on paper
Physical Description
Medium: watercolour, gouache, pen and pencil on paper
Measurement
overall: 19.5 x 14.9cm
Medium
watercolour, gouache, pen and pencil on paper
Date Made
c.1945–46
Place Made
Whole/Part
Whole
Item Count
1
Credit Line
donated in 2017
Copyright
AWM copyright
People
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