War scene in water colour by Bob De Moor

Today I present you a rather rare item which I found in the archives of the family De Moor.

Water colour on paper. Notice the B in the bottom right corner.
Water colour on paper. Notice the B in the bottom right corner.

The undated drawing is very unlike Bob De Moor as you can see. The realistically drawn scene represents a war scene with a US soldier observing an enemy camp somewhere in a tropical country. Tropical because the plants shown in the image look tropical.

The scene makes me believe that this scene is about the war against the Japanese troops in Asia during World War 2. Now, where exactly this scene is situated is not really easy without the context surrounding the drawing of course but during World War 2 Japan occupied the following territories, so take your pick as far as the country that harboured this scene:

  • Several regions in mainland China – 1938 – 1945
  • French Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos) – July 15, 1940 – August 29, 1945
  • Hong Kong (UK) – December 12, 1940 – August 15, 1945
  • Thailand – as an ‘allied’ state although induced – December 8, 1941 – August 15, 1945
  • British New Guinea – December 27, 1941 – September 15, 1945
  • Philippines (USA) – May 8, 1942 – July 5, 1945
  • Guam (USA) – January 6, 1942 – October 24, 1945
  • Dutch East Indies – January 18, 1942 – October 21, 1945
  • Portuguese Timor – February 19, 1942 – September 2, 1945
  • Malaya (UK)- March 27, 1942 – September 6, 1945
  • Andaman Islands (India) – March 29, 1942 – September 9, 1945
  • Singapore (Singapore) – March 29, 1942 – September 9, 1945
  • Kingdom of Sarawak (UK) – March 29, 1942 – September 9, 1945
  • Brunei (UK) – March 29, 1942 – September 9, 1945
  • Borneo (UK) – March 29, 1942 – September 9, 1945
  • Nauru – August 26, 1942 – September 13, 1945
  • Wake Island (USA) – December 27, 1941 – September 4, 1945
  • Burma – 1942–1945
  • Gilbert Islands (UK) – December 1941 – January 22, 1944
  • Christmas Island (Australia) – March 1942 – October 1945
  • Attu and Kiska Islands (US) – June 6, 1942 – September 27, 1943

If anyone has an idea for what this picture was used, please let me know at bernard.vanisacker@gmail.com .

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