Public Servant Lifestyle

Unique paintings, produced by a RAF surgeon while serving in Iraq.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has launched a unique exhibition of paintings produced by an RAF surgeon while serving in Iraq last year.

Surgeon Wing Commander Gora Pathak, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, served with 34 Field Hospital during Operation Telic – the formal name for UK military operations in Iraq.

A member of the Defence Medical Services, Surgeon Wing Commander Pathak was part of the advance into Iraq, and, despite the difficult conditions and demands of his duties, he was able to record vividly many different aspects of the operation, in the form of evocative paintings. During his time in the Middle East, the surgeon-cum-artist served at 34 Field Hospital, in Iraq.

The paintings show scenes from various locations in the UK and the Gulf region during the pre-deployment training and operational phases of Operation Telic. All were painted at the time, not from memory, and bring home the sparse conditions which the Wing Commander - and many of the 2,800 or so medics deployed - had to endure. They convey a vivid impression of the work carried out by Defence Medical Service staff during Operation Telic including scenes of battle, drills, and medical staff carrying out operations.

About The Artist

The Wing Commander is a Consultant Orthopaedic surgeon based at the Royal Hospital Haslar, in Portsmouth. Before heading to the Gulf this time his career in the Forces had already spanned three continents. Having completed basic medical training in India before joining the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1994, he underwent further training in England before finishing his training in Australia. He has served in the Balkans and the Gulf several times. During the war, Wing Commander Pathak was based initially in Kuwait before moving with 34 Field Hospital to the one-time RAF base at Shaibah airfield in the south of the country.

The initial exhibition at the MOD was formally opened by Under Secretary of State for Defence, Ivor Caplin MP. Launching the exhibition, Mr Caplin said: "These paintings are a celebration of the outstanding work of the Defence Medical Services. They give us a unique perspective on life during Operation Telic, and in particular the demanding conditions in which Wing Commander Pathak and his colleagues worked."

Following it's initial display, this unique collection of twenty-seven paintings by the Surgeon Wing Commander embarked on a national tour of Defence Hospital Units.

PSP Ltd is not responsible for the contents of external websites. All images copyright: Surgeon Wing Commander Gora Pathak.

More information available in Arts & Culture, Work Environment, Middle East