Douglas Watson Despatch rider Sgt Rex Beggs

In this portrait, Douglas Watson draws attention to a lesser-known role of wartime servicemen. Military couriers were used to deliver urgent messages between headquarters and combat units – a vital and often perilous responsibility. Watson depicts rider Sergeant Rex Joseph Allan Beggs (1921–91), from Warrnambool, Victoria, a signalman with the 14 Australian Lines Section in Australia, Papua New Guinea and on the island of Biak, Indonesia. He is kitted out in his uniform: motorcycle helmet and goggles, leather gauntlets and greatcoat with white and blue armbands. These armbands made despatchers easily distinguishable as part of the Signals unit. White symbolises the ribbons wound around the staff carried by the Greek god Hermes, the winged herald and messenger of the gods and protector of travellers, while blue represents the British royal colours.

Watson was one of the youngest official war artists during World War II. He enlisted at the age of 22, having only recently graduated from East Sydney Technical College (now the National Art School). With the rank of lieutenant, Watson covered military activities in Australia, New Guinea and Borneo. When he submitted this portrait, he had already become the youngest artist to win the Wynne Prize for landscape painting, in 1942.

His portrait of Beggs is now in the collection of the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, with the title Despatch rider (Sergeant Rex Beggs).