Places | |
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Accession Number | REL30340.001 |
Collection type | Heraldry |
Object type | Heraldry |
Physical description | Cotton drill; Plastic |
Maker |
King Gee |
Place made | Pacific Islands: Fiji |
Date made | c 2001-2002 |
Conflict |
Period 2000-2009 Afghanistan, 2001-2021 |
Artist's shirt : Peter Churcher, Official War Artist
Long sleeved khaki drill cotton shirt, with back yoke and a pair of patch breast pockets. The shirt fastens with seven plastic buttons and has a single button on each cuff. There is a red, white and blue woven cotton label sewn inside the back of the collar with the maker's details and a smaller white tag benanth it woven in black with '43-44 L/SL'. The front of the shirt and left sleeve is stained with brown, ochre, blue, black and grey paint, and oil where the artist has wiped his brush.
The shirt was worn by Peter Churcher while working on commission for the Australian War Memorial. Mr Churcher was appointed the Australian War Memorial's official war artist in January 2002. In February of that year he spent three weeks in the Persian Gulf with the Royal Australian Navy, recording the individuals, day to day activities and operations of naval personnel involved in Australia's involvement in the 'War Against Terrorism'. Following this he spent two weeks with the Royal Australian Air Force on the island military base of Diego Garcia recording and capturing similar activities and operations as well as the environment encountered on the island. In August and September 2002, he spent 10 days in the Middle East (Kuwait) and Afghanistan (Bagram) with the Australian Army and Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment.