Exhibition of paintings and drawings of New Guinea by Captain Ivor Hele: official war artist

40 I vi ( :AItkllR. \ 1 k k i I 5 \ i A R t S 1.) 1 i FRIN(; R(WK \vi'In ( Ro\VRAR. P c i i ((ii(l 1 (iS/i. O N l t I i I ) 0 ( 1'&OAI). 1cii (111(1 U ( 1 S / I . 20\ I . ( . i i i J N ( ; 1 i ' ( : i I ROt NI) Su1IrR 1 . o ( k 1('1,. ( o i i t ( ' . 2 2 N I ) 2 . H,\-\,i) 1)RI LIN(;. 5 . \ I i R FOX'S s ( \ \ i I - - R i I I l ) o ( ; Rom). Oil. i N 0). R i , s : i . ( s r \IotxI\IN. Oil. 22±X B t IA)IA) 1.NI )S(AI9.. Oil. 2 2 N I. 57. \lossv F()RlSI. P.0.51). Oil. 22-:1-'N l. Oil. 2 3 N I. I N I ) E P F N l ) F ; N ' I ' ( : O \ I P A N \ SERIES F r o m W a n t o Salatiia u a t h e Japanese 'ivere (Iriveti hick in a campaign as I1ai'(I as ativ i n N e w G u i n e a . W e l l a r ) n e d , f r e q u e n t l y r e i n f o r c e d , a n d s k i l l e d i n the p r e p a r a t i o n o f d e f e n s i v e p o s i t i o n s On t h e r a z o r - b a c k ridges, t h e y w e r e h a r d lv m o r e l o r i l l i ( I a I ) l e t h a n t h e t r o p i c a l j u n g l e . T h e A u s t r a l i a n s w e r e w e t f o r weeks at a t i m e in the s t e a n l i n g r a i n clouds; the native tracks were knee-deep i n mud; malaria a 11(1 o t h e r t r o p i c a l d i s e a s e s w e r e a ( ' o u s t a n t danger. F i g h t i n g p a t r o l s m o v e d b e t w e e n g r e e n w a l l s w h i c h conipletelv hid eneln\ activity. N o o n e k n e w if t h e n e x t l)Cnd concealed a s n i p e r , a n a m b u s h p"', o r a b o l v trap, an(l this risk i t i c r e a s e d a s o u r troops f o l l owe d t h e retreating Japanese. But the Australians were quick t o t u r n t h e eiieiiiys o w n weapons against 11111). P a t r o l s set b o o b y traps even in the J a p t t e s c c amp s ; rai(lillg parties disorg'an y i s e d t h e i r s u p p l l i n e s ; the swiftness a n d silence w i t h w h i c h t h e Aits trahian ambushes struck helped t o d e s t r o y J a p a n e s e morale. F i g h t i n g was no t t h e o n l y task. S u p p l y l i n e s h a d t o b e m a i n t a i n e d , dropping g r o u n d s f o r f o o d a n d ainmunitioir prel)arc(l, a nd w o u n d e d a n d sick treated a nd evacuated, no easy t a s k w h e n m e n h a d t o h e c a r r i e d o v e r m i l e s ol (lifficult jungle t r a c k s b y n a t i v e hearers, o r make t h e i r o w n w a y h a c k when they were w a l k i n g w01111(led. I n this series o f sketches, m a d e w h e n h e wa s w i t h t h e 2 / 3 1 1 1 Independent C o m p a n y , C a p t a i n H e l e s hows scenes t y p i c a l o f t h o s e h a r d ( l a y s when the Au s t r a l i a u s w e r e c l o s i n g i l l l o t t h e Final blow which was t o r e d u c e Salaniaua a n d c l e a r t h e w a y f o r t h e a t t a c k o n H u o n Gulf. 9