A Second World War Bust of Wing Commander Charles Martin, D.S.O., D.F.C., R.A.A.F., modelled and cast by Barbara Tribe, F.R.S.B.S., (1913-2000)

Literature: Barbara Tribe, Sculptor, (2000), Patricia R. Macdonald, Sydney

An Original Second World War Plaster Bust Tribe commenced her R.A.A.F. portrait busts in April 1943 whilst working by day for Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments where she formed part of a team of eight whose task was record historic buildings under the threat of destruction from enemy bombing. The R.A.A.F. portraits were initiated by a chance visit in 1941  to Australia House where she met Lance Sergeant R.J. Waters, A.I.F. Waters was enthusiastic about sitting for a portrait and the resultant plaster bust was exhibited at the Cooling Galleries, New Bond Street. Waters was posted to Middle East and then to New Guinea, but before he left London he spoke enthusiastically about Tribe’s work to Air Vice-Marshal Henry Wrigley, an Australian veteran of the 1914-18 air war in France and Flanders, who in 1943 commanded R.A.A.F. Overseas Headquarters at Australia House. Wrigley realised an opportunity to immortalize in sculpture the contribution of Australian airmen were making to winning the war through Tribe’s work. Accordingly Wrigley arranged for the Spitfire ace Squadron Leader Bobby Gibbes, who had recently returned from the North African desert, to sit for Tribe. Working in clay from April to autumn 1943, Tribe sculpted he subjects from life in sessions stretching over the course of a number of evenings. The clay model of each sitter was rendered permanent by the production of a mould and casting from it the original plaster form, each of these processes being performed by Tribe herself. When Gibbes’ bust was finished, Wrigley despatched in succession Flt. Lt. Allan Triggs, M.B.E., D.F.C.; Sqdn. Ldr. Martin, D.S.O., D.F.C.; navigator  Flt. Lt. |Charles Leister; Sqdn. Ldr. Colin Braidwood Walker, D.S.O.; and rear gunner (Warrant Officer) Norman Williams, C.G.M., D.F.M. & bar.  Tribe completed the series by modelling and casting in plaster a bust of Wrigley himself. Gibbes was subsequently to have his plaster bust cast in to bronze by the renowned art founders Morris Singer. The R.A.F. Museum, Hendon, and the Australian War Memorial collection at Canberra later acquired second edition bronze casts of the Gibbes bust. Between 1968-70 Canberra acquired bronzes of The Rear Gunner (Norman Williams), Martin and Triggs, all three being cast by the London founders John Galizia & Sons. Finally in 1986 the original plaster of Jimmy Waters was used to produce a bronze version also for the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.