Exhibition Theme - Battle

Troops in back of truck, Libya

Both as a soldier and an artist, Hele felt a great sense of empathy for the "ordinary" men in the field. Using the pink and mauve hues of the desert in his North Africa paintings, he recorded the hardships borne by the infantryman of the 6th Australian Division - endless marching, dust storms, lack of sleep, and extreme temperature fluctuations between day and night.

Oil on canvas 76.5 x 92.2 cm
Painted in Aldinga, SA, 1943
Acquired under official war art scheme in 1943
Australian War Memorial
ART28479

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