Damien Peter Parer (1 August 1912 – 17 September 1944) was an Australian war photographer. He became famous for his war photography of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and was killed by

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

machine-gun fire at

Peleliu Peleliu (or Beliliou) is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu, along with two small islands to its northeast, forms one of the sixteen states of Palau. The island is notable as the location of the Battle of Peleliu in World War II. H ...

Palau Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...

. He was cinematographer for Australia's first

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

-winning film, ''

Kokoda Front Line! ''Kokoda Front Line!'' was a full-length edition of the Australian newsreel, Cinesound Review, produced by the Australian News & Information Bureau and Cinesound Productions Limited in 1942, about the Kokoda Track campaign. It was one of four win ...

'', an edition of the weekly newsreel, '' Cinesound Review'', which was produced by

Ken G. Hall Kenneth George Hall, AO, OBE (22 February 1901 – 8 February 1994), better known as Ken G. Hall, was an Australian film producer and director, considered one of the most important figures in the history of the Australian film industry. ...

Early life

Damien Parer was born at

Malvern Malvern or Malverne may refer to: Places Australia * Malvern, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide * Malvern, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne * City of Malvern, a former local government area near Melbourne * Electoral district of Malvern, an e ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, the seventh child of John Arthur Parer, a Spanish-Catalan-born hotel manager on King Island and his wife Teresa, the daughter of JP Carolin a Tasmanian and Mary Corcoran from Tipperary, Ireland. In 1923, he and his brother Adrian were sent as boarders to

St Stanislaus' College , motto_translation = But we (Trust) in the name of the Lord , established = , type = Independent secondary day and boarding school , denomination = Roman Catholic , religious_affiliation = ...

in Bathurst and

St Kevin's College, Melbourne , motto_translation = All for God , religious_affiliation = Catholicism , denomination = Congregation of Christian Brothers , oversight = Archdiocese of Melbourne , trust = Edmund Rice ...

. He joined the school's camera club, and decided that he wanted to be a photographer, rather than a priest. However, finding a job as a photographer in depression-era Australia proved difficult, so he resumed his education at St Kevin's in East Melbourne. While at this school he won a prize in a photographic competition run by the Melbourne newspaper '' The Argus'', and used the money to buy a Graflex camera used by professional photographers. Parer obtained an apprenticeship with Arthur Dickinson. He said later that he learned most about photography from Dickinson and

Max Dupain Maxwell Spencer Dupain AC OBE (22 April 191127 July 1992) was an Australian modernist photographer. Early life Dupain received his first camera as a gift in 1924, spurring his interest in photography. He later joined the Photographic Society ...

. He finished his apprenticeship in 1933 and, in mid-1934, obtained work with the director Charles Chauvel on the film ''Heritage'', where he met and became friends with another up-and-coming filmmaker of the time,

John Heyer John Whitefoord Heyer (14 September 1916 – 19 June 2001) was an Australian documentary filmmaker, who is often described as the father of Australian documentary film.''Oxford companion to Australian film'' (1999) John Heyer spent the majo ...

. In September 1935 Damien was offered and accepted via telegram the Assistant Cameraman position on Chauvel's film ''

Rangle River ''Rangle River'' is a 1936 Australian Western film directed by Clarence G. Badger based on a story by Zane Grey. Synopsis Marion Hastings returns to her father Dan's cattle property in western Queensland after being away in Europe for fifteen ...

''. At the conclusion of that film, and with the help of Chauvel, he obtained work in Sydney, and so moved there in 1935.

Career

By World War II, Parer was experienced at photography and motion pictures, and was appointed as official movie photographer to the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) Bismarck Sea 127968

His first war footage was taken on HMAS ''Sydney'' after it had sunk the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

cruiser ''

Bartolomeo Colleoni Bartolomeo Colleoni (; 1400 – 2 November 1475) was an Italian condottiero, who became captain-general of the Republic of Venice. Colleoni "gained reputation as the foremost tactician and disciplinarian of the 15th century".''Websters New ...

''. Soon afterwards, he was aboard HMS ''Ladybird'' while it was bombarding the sea port of

Bardia Bardia, also El Burdi or Barydiyah ( ar, البردية, lit=, translit=al-Bardiyya or ) is a Mediterranean seaport in the Butnan District of eastern Libya, located near the border with Egypt. It is also occasionally called ''Bórdi Slemán''. ...

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...

. His first experience at close quarters was during a troop advance at Derna. Parer filmed in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

and in

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

, covering the action from aircraft, the deck of a ship and on the ground with the infantry. After Syria he travelled to

Tobruk Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near th ...

once again on the ''Ladybird'' in August 1941 before covering the fighting in the Western Desert. By mid-1942 Parer was in

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

ready to cover the fighting against the Japanese. Together with war correspondent

Osmar White Osmar Egmont Dorkin White (2 April 190916 May 1991) was an Australian journalist, war correspondent and writer. He is most famous for his vivid description of the New Guinea Campaign during World War II. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Robe ...

, he undertook an arduous journey by schooner, launch and on foot from

Port Moresby (; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New Z ...

to Wau via

Yule Island Yule Island is a small island in Central Province (Papua New Guinea), Central Province, Papua New Guinea. It is located 160 km NW from Port Moresby, on the south coast of Papua New Guinea. History Yule Island was probably named after Charle ...

, Terapo and Kudjiru, in order to document the efforts of the meagre forces then fighting on the northern coast of

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

. During this phase of the war, he filmed some of his most famous sequences, some at

Salamaua Salamaua () was a small town situated on the northeastern coastline of Papua New Guinea, in Salamaua Rural LLG, Morobe province. The settlement was built on a minor isthmus between the coast with mountains on the inland side and a headland. The c ...

and, most notably, those used in ''

''. This documentary won its producer,

, an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for documentary film-making. Damien Parer shot footage during the Battle of Guam that won him a posthumous Headliner Award from the American Journalists' Association. Parer was killed on 17 September 1944 by Japanese gunfire while filming a

United States Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

advance in

on the island of

. Damien Parer's body was initially buried in a shallow grave on Peleliu but later exhumed and moved to Makassar War Cemetery, Celebes, South Sulawesi, Indonesia after the war in 1946. It was then moved to its resting place location in Ambon War Cemetery, Pandan Kasturi, Kota Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia when all the graves in Makassar were relocated there in 1961.

Personal

He married Elizabeth Marie Cotter on 23 March 1944, and his son, also named Damien, was born in 1945, 6 months after his father had died. Parer was a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. The younger Damien became a film and TV producer.

In popular culture

'' Fragments of War: The Story of Damien Parer'' was a 1988 telemovie for Network 10 directed by

John Duigan John Duigan (born 19 June 1949) is an Australian film director and screenwriter. He is mostly known for his two autobiographical films ''The Year My Voice Broke'' and ''Flirting'', and the 1994 film ''Sirens'', which stars Hugh Grant. Biogra ...

with

Nicholas Eadie Nicholas Eadie (born 1958) is an Australian television, film and theatre actor. Biography Born in Sydney, New South Wales to actor and Australian Broadcasting Commission radio announcer Mervyn Eadie, he attended Waverley College from 1968 to 19 ...

as Parer. A second

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

called ''Parer's War'', starring

Matthew Le Nevez Matthew Le Nevez (born 10 January 1979) is an Australian actor. He is best known for his roles as Doctor Patrick Reid in the TV series ''Offspring'', Detective Brian Dutch in the Tasmanian Gothic sci-fi television show '' The Kettering Incident' ...

as Parer and

Adelaide Clemens Adelaide Clemens (born 30 November 1989) is an Australian actress. She was nominated for a Logie Award in 2008 for her role in the television series ''Love My Way''. In 2012, she played Valentine Wannop in BBC's television miniseries adaptation ...

as Marie Cotter, directed by

Alister Grierson Alister Grierson (born 1969) is an Australian film director and scriptwriter. Early life and education Born in Canberra, he completed his secondary schooling at Canberra Grammar, graduated in Economics and Arts from the Australian National U ...

,premiered on 27 April 2014 on the ABC.

Filmography

Damien Parer is credited for the following films: * Life at Sea (1940) *Camp Life (1940) *Anzac Day, Gaza, 1940 (1940) *The Fall of Bardia, Naval Action (1941) *The Action Against Tobruk (1941) with Frank Hurley *Tobruk—The Day by Day Story (1941) with Frank Hurley *The Evacuation of Greece (1941) *The Return of the Seventh Division (1942) *The Blitz on Port Moresby (1942) *The Strangest Supply Route of the War (1942) * '' Moresby Under the Blitz'' (1942) * ''

'' (1942) * '' The Road to Kokoda'' (1942) *''

Men of Timor ''Men of Timor'' is a 1943 short documentary propaganda film about the guerrilla warfare activities of Sparrow Force on Timor Island during World War II. Plot The film opens with a map of the Timor Sea area, showing Timor Island, then Japanese ...

'' (1942) *RAAF Coverage, Moresby (1943) * ''

The Bismarck Convoy Smashed ''Bismark Convoy Smashed!'', also known as ''Battle of the Bismark Sea,'' is a World War II, Second World War 1943 Australian documentary newsreel film about the Battle of the Bismarck Sea on 2–3 March, an engagement which resulted in the claime ...

'' (1943) *'' Assault on Salamaua'' (1943) *Air Transport (1943) His outstanding films with Paramount News from the end of August 1943: * The Landing at Tarawa (1943) *The Landing in the Admiralties (1944) *The Invasion of Hollandia (1944) *'' I Saw it Happen'' (1944) the invasion of Guam

References

Sources

*McDonald, Neil (1994) ''War Cameraman: The Story of Damien Parer'', Port Melbourne, Lothian
McDonald, Neil (2000) "Parer, Damien (1912–1944)" in ''Australian Dictionary of Biography''
*Who's Who in Australian Military History
Damien Peter Parer

Australian War Memorial The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia and some conflicts involving pe ...

External links

More information from AWM
*
Damien Parer at the Australian War MemorialNine MSN on Damien ParerPhotographic reels at the National Library of Australia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parer, Damien Australian documentary filmmakers Australian photojournalists War photographers 1912 births 1944 deaths Photographers from Melbourne People educated at St Kevin's College, Melbourne Australian people of Spanish descent Australian Roman Catholics 20th-century Australian photographers Photojournalists killed while covering military conflicts Australian war correspondents Australian civilians killed in World War II War correspondents of World War II People from Malvern, Victoria