Art paints history of regiment

The Special Air Services Regiment opened its historic art collection for the first time on Saturday, featuring two original paintings by Donnybrook artist Noel Barnes.

The Out of the Shadows exhibition is a joint project of the WA Museum and the SAS Historical Society to celebrate the regiment’s golden jubilee.

“The collection is a record of history, which is captured not just in books but in art, ” Mr Barnes said.

Mr Barnes and a number of Australian artists were commissioned to produce artworks depicting missing sections of the regiment’s history since 1964 and the stories behind the famous SAS motto, “Who dares wins”.

He said it had been an honour to work on the project and channel a love of aviation and military history into his work.

“I remember being in Grade 4 and borrowing library books on aviation, ” he said.

“I wouldn’t do any homework — I’d just go home and draw planes.”

Mr Barnes had been involved with the SAS Historical Society since 2013, working with the regiment’s artist in residence Ian Coates.

“This is the first time the SAS Regiment has revealed anything of itself to the public, ” he said.

“I have a lot of respect and honour for these guys — I found them to be real ‘ratbag’ blokes, very humble and down to earth.”

His painting of the regiment’s Borneo campaign and portrait of former Commanding Officer John Beesley will be on display at the WA Museum until June 1.