The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
American B-52 bombers parked on the runway. Peter Churcher recalled, "Whenever I caught the bus to Tent City I would pass the main American flight line where all the B-52 bombers were making sorties into Afghanistan were parked. These large aircraft looked deadly and menacing to me particularly when one knew the devastation they were capable of delivering. Again I asked my Commanding Officer whether it would be possible to do a painting on the American Flight Line. Many phone calls had to be made and American brass consulted to gain permission to enter this highly secured area. As always being the war artist I seemed to be able to manage to get such permission. They said initially forget about that one there's no way you'll get down there. I ended up talking to one of the top brass who said 'I can't see why not'. People don't realize how classified that painting is. A view not normally seen by people. I was escorted down there, an afternoon on the flight line painting the bombers. Some had just returned from Afghanistan, there wings emptied of their bombs, others were being re-loaded for the next sortie which would have been taking off later that evening. As luck had it the tropical skies of Diego Garcia were bringing huge storm clouds over the scene constantly. At any point during the painting I was expecting to be drenched in a tropical down pour. I did not let this deter me because the drama of the sky was perfect and fitting backdrop to the menacing aircraft that I was trying to paint".
A Hornet on the tarmac. Peter Churcher recalled, "I just wanted to do a painting of a Hornet. It was very hot on the flight path during the day and so I had to work at night. There is evidence of the
View of a lagoon. Peter Churcher recalled, "When I arrived in Diego Garcia I learned that the western side was basically given over to their undertakings but the entire eastern side was closed off by
Painting of Corporal Steve Trood, Ship's Army Department giving Petty Officer Clearance Diver (POCD) Darby Munro from Australian Clearance Diving Team 1 (AUSTCD1) a haircut. Peter Churcher recalled, "
Darwin experienced 64 air raids during the course of the second world war and there were several important wartime airfields established in the Northern Territory - Groote Eylandt, Gove and Millingimb
Peter Churcher recalled, "Fraser caught my eye on the first morning that I was painting the end of the night watch shift that you have got. As I was finishing the work and cleaning up Fraser and his c
Three former SS guards dragging corpses at the concentration camp in Belsen, Germany at the end of the war. Following is a piece taken from the transcript of a taped conversation between the artist Al