Return
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Return
to Art Collection PageMcClelland Barclay made the following
sketches that he titled, "Heroes of the South Seas,"
between late 1942 and June 1943. He mailed them to a friend in
the United States shortly before his death aboard LST-342 on 18
July 1943. In August of that year, this friend informed the Navy
of her possession of the sketches and suggested they be published
in book form, with any profits turned over to Navy Relief. Possibly
this had been Barclay's intention as well. The sketches were delivered
to the Navy's Office of Public Relations (Pictorial Section).
In the mid-1980s, they were transferred to the Naval Historical
Center's Art Collection. The Center is unaware that these images
were ever published, or even displayed publicly until now.
The labels underneath the images are transcriptions of Barclay's
handwritten notes, jotted down on the same sheet of paper where
he sketched. Text in italics indicates that Barclay is quoting
his subject.
Always one who wanted to improve his art from first-hand experience,
Barclay once told an interviewer, "I have been called
a `pretty girl artist,' but I am going to get in all of the front-line
action I can. I want to bring out the idea that wars are fought
by men, and not just by their tools." With the dozens
of portraits he created during his service, Barclay managed to
bring out that idea very well. The faces of the men and women
Barclay committed to paper, along with the anecdotal evidence
he recorded in the margins, reminds us that individuals make up
a navy. As he told the San Francisco Examiner in March 1943, "A
camera cannot catch the human element of a fight, the sweat and
blood and courage our boys expend every time they face the enemy.
That's what I'm going back out there now to do."
Ensign John William Finn
McClelland Barclay
Conté crayon on paper, ca. 1943
85-236-X
"Mickey" "Slingblote"
NATTCTR Norman Oklahoma
Now Ensign John William Finn, USN, formerly Aviation Chief Ordinance
Man - since 1935
Joined Navy 17 years - July 1926 of Los Angeles Cal. - 5'9"
- weight 155 lb
"I see these old meatballs on the bottom of 'em - this
is the real McCoy it's the God damn Japs."
Kaneohe - Dec. 7th 1941 -- Directed and pointed out duties to
whatever men were handy.
"All were eager to fight but some didn't know what to
do. I came out of the armory out of the hanger and there was Little
Peterson [draw him] wide eyed like saucers, firing with
his 30 cal machine gun right over the top of 'Bucky's' head (Bucky
Walter from Sallisaw Oklahoma, half Irish, half Indian) so I moved
Peters' machine gun out so he wouldn't shoot Bucky's head off
- a great big guy and we needed him. Then I loaded for Pete a
couple of times and then put someone else on Pete's gun."
Where were you wounded first?
"I was firing a 50 cal. and the Japs would come in strafing.
They'd come right down the machine gun barrell [sic] it
seemed, firing their 20 mm cannon and 30 cal. By that time all
the planes we had were destroyed and on fire. I believe they hit
me first in the right thumb and left forearm. I remember I had
to reach over with my right arm because my left wouldn't work."
How many times were you hit?
"The doctor said 19 holes in me - arms, belly, feet, head
graze - mostly small fragment of 20 mm shells."
Unsung hero - Alfred Dominic Perucci, hometown Worcester Mass
- naval Ammunition depot S.W. Australia - "He got the
ball rolling before I ever got there. He rescued guys off burning
airplanes that people told me were dead so I forgot about 'em.
They were in PBYs moored in the bay."
Congressional Medal of Honor - Sept 1942 - Look up citation -
public relations
Robert James Peterson
McClelland Barclay
Conté crayon on paper, 1943 ca.
85-236-AP
"Pete" Aviation Chief Radioman
Robert James Peterson - Colorado
join 18 years - in Navy 7 years - always in aviation
Awarded NAVY CROSS - Sept. 15, 1942 - Citation -
in Dec. 7th attack on KANEOHE, Hawaii -
"[I] was one of the first to man a machine gun
on construction stand on a ramp down by the planes - so many couldn't
count them it was too fast to count - shoot holes in the gas tanks
which stream out - I thot [sic] they were layin' a gas
attack. Put out a fire on a burning PBY with CO2 extinguisher
- operated machine all thru [sic] first attack lasting
about one hour and twenty minutes - during second raid about half
hour. Four loaders were wounded on our gun including John Finn
aviation chief ordnanceman who was given Congressional Medal of
Honor."
Present station - top turret gunner on a Liberators, also second
in charge of radio gang of the squadron. Been in raids on Tulagi
and other actions South Pacific.
LCDR T.K. Bowers
McClelland Barclay
Conté crayon on paper, ca. 1943
85-236-J
LT. Comdr. Tom "Tommy" K.
Bowers USN
Naval Academy class 1932 - entered 17 years- NAVY CROSS - Dec.
8 to 26-1941- CAVITE BATAAN CORREGIDOR
13 passengers in PBY, crew six - Especial noted for having blown
up ammunition dumps at Cavite so they couldn't fall into Jap hands.
Had a sector of beach defence [sic] - 3 points to cover in three
bays. Commanded own personnale [sic] from ammunition depot who
had been turned into infantry to fight along with army ground
troops.
"In February ordered to Corregidor where my units continued
to fight in defence [sic] of beaches and I was on duty
with the inshore patrol - We had patrol boats (mine sweepers)
- all of the naval vessels still left.
Ordance [sic] officer for what was left of the 16th Naval District
- ordered to leave April 29 1942 - flown out at 11:15 PM for Lanao
- gassed up then flew to Darwin - hopped the desert to Perth -
Airplane tender was Shark Bay - 500 mi north of Perth
Aboard airplane: Army Nurse, Two civilian women, 3 Naval, Few
army aviators
LT(jg) John Stansbury Baylis, Jr.
McClelland Barclay
Conté crayon on paper, 1943 ca.
85-236-G
John Stansbury Baylis Jr. LT.jg. USNR
2 years Coast Guard Academy - New York City - 28 years - active
Sept. 24, 1941 - Trained at Melville Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons
Training Center - Command PT boat - Oct. 1942 - Service in Pacific
"Haven't slept off my ship since I took command."
Father is Captain of the Coast Guard. I used to spar with Capt.
Baylis in the boxing room of the New York Athletic Club from time
to time.
LT(jg) Frank "Skip"H. Dean
McClelland Barclay
Conté crayon on paper, 1943
85-236-R
Lt. jg. Frank H. Dean, Jr. USN - Silver Star June 5, 1943 - "Skip"
LT(jg) R.F. Lynch, Jr.
McClelland Barclay
Conté crayon on paper, 1943
85-236-AJ
Lt. jg R.F.Lynch, Jr. New York - Fordam
[sic] Univ. PT Boat School Melville, R.I.
26 years - started actively in PT Boats June of 1942 - Decoration
Silver Star - Feb 8, 1943
LCDR Barry Kennedy Atkins
McClelland Barclay
Conté crayon on paper, 1943 ca.
85-236-E
CDR Frank A. Munroe, Jr.
McClelland Barclay
Conté crayon on paper, 1943 ca.
85-236-AO
Frank A. Munroe, Jr. Comdr USNR - Naval Academy class '25 - 17 year matriculated - From Annapolis, Md - Captain U.S.S. Hilo - converted of Wm B. Leeds - tender for PT boats - took command June 11, 1942
North of Buna - View of PT Boat
McClelland Barclay
Oil on canvas board
48-031-E
Torpedo Boat 14 Firing
McClelland Barclay
Conté crayon on paper, 1943
85-236-AZ
Online Exhibits that feature McClelland Barclay's work
Recruiting Posters for Women from World War II -- The WAVES
Navy Art Gallery exhibit: The Normandy Invasion
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