Biography: Coe, Herbert James Bowkett

‘The patrol, Vella Lavella, 2nd November 1943’

Painting of two soldiers in uniform holding guns, surrounded by mangroves, sheltering behind a rock which also contains a large crab.

James Coe used sketches he made while serving in the Pacific as the basis of a series of paintings when he returned to New Zealand. This painting is based on an experience he had while on patrol on the island of Vella Lavella in Solomon Islands in 1942.

Using this item

Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: NCWA 145, R22497116

by James Bowkett Coe

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

How to cite this page

Michael Smythe. 'Coe, Herbert James Bowkett', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 2022. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/47620/the-patrol-vella-lavella-2nd-november-1943 (accessed 4 June 2026).