Photographers - Part 2

 Stuart Gore

Stuart Gore (1905-1984) was born in England but moved to Australia with his parents at the age of three.  Early in his career he operated Perth's first same-day photo developing business.  During World War II he enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force and served in the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (PRU), taking aerial photos to help the war effort.

Through not known for nude photography, while in the RAAF Gore took several photos of unashamed fellow PRU members and soldiers.  All photos are from the State Library of Western Australia.

The PRU camp was at the Coomalie Airstrip & Snake Gully, near the Adelaide River, Northern Territory, not far from Darwin.  This is Stuart Gore with a dog in camp.

PRU members cooling off.  It can get hot in northern Australia.

A closer view of PRU members cooling off.  Some of the guys have swimsuits; some don't.  It wasn't a big deal in those days.

More unashamed guys cooling off.

Open-air shower.  Showering together wasn't a big deal, either.

Fishing with a net.  Again, some have swimsuits; some don't.

Sunbathing (Aussies call it sunbaking).  Gore made the photo more interesting by showing another PRU photographer capturing the sight on film.

I've saved the best for last.  This 1942 photo was taken during a military training landing exercise on the Abrolhos islands off Western Australia.  If you enlarge the photo, you'll see that this guy who just waded ashore isn't shy at all.  He's smiling for the camera.