DAVID WHITFIELD
Grandfather’s Things
Oil on board
36 x 45cm
These are my grandfather’s things: a large canvas pouch, a record of service book, a demobilization procedure book, a picture of my grandfather and his mate in PNG, and four WWII Pacific Medals. This is all that is left of four years and three months of service, including over two years in Papua New Guinea in the Air Warning Wireless Company.
Like many people of my grandfather’s generation, he didn’t speak about his service which leaves a lot of questions. My grandfather’s things were locked away in an old tool box to be handed down without explanation. What this collection tells me is that he kept these items because they were special to him. The medals might be hung in the wrong order and held together with safety pins, I don’t know if they were even worn. However, they are a record of the sacrifices he made to keep Australia safe.
My own service has left me with deep respect and admiration for my grandfather and what all Australian service members have done for our country. Since painting my grandfather’s things I continue to wonder if a collection of medals, without explanation, is all that my grandchildren will be given.
