Overall: 84cm (33in) x 63cm (24in)
Oil on canvas. Half-length portrait of a Royal Navy officer in oil skin coat on an open bridge typical of the corvettes assigned to the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic; set against a portentous sky with a hint of a merchant ship visible in the background. Inscribed ‘Sandy / 1941’ upper right. Dated verso on the stretcher 16/4/42.
An open bridge gave maximum situational awareness at a time when the main sensor technology at sea was the human eyeball. In the early years of the war up to half of all U-boat contacts were made with the naked eye. The open bridge made it easier to judge the weather and, especially the wind, and gave easy of communication between the main officers, lookouts and signallers. Finally, there was a belief that cold air helped to prevent sleepiness and fatigue. While this was later proved false, it was commonly held at the time.