Superb WW2 Royal Navy HMS Ajax Oil Painting by W.S Lacey d.1946
According to the verso, this wonderful Oil on board painting of the mighty Ajax, once adorned the bulkhead of the ships wardroom and was removed when the ship was sent for scrap in 1949.
HMS Ajax was a Leander class light cruiser which served the RN with distinction during WW2, commissioned in 1935.
She became famous for her part in the Battle of the River Plate and the hunt for the German raider “Admiral Graf Spee as part of “Force G”. She also participated in the Battle of Crete, the Battle of Malta and as a supply escort in the siege of Tobruk.
As part of Force K, Ajax bombarded Gold Beach during the D-Day invasion, the battery at Longues gave some trouble but was silenced by 6-inch shells through the embrasures of two of the four casemates.
After the war, Ajax was used to repatriate German sailors from the crew of Admiral Graf Spee from Uruguay back to Germany, a historic irony since Ajax had been a member of the squadron that battled the German cruiser in 1939 and ultimately caused her to be scuttled.
The painting is in good condition with some crazing and depicts the ship in high seas, whilst flying white ensigns from both masts, at high speed and engaging the enemy with both forward BL 6” Mk XXIII guns.
It’s signed & dated 1946 by the marine artist “W.S Lacey” whose work has been offered at auction multiple times and it’s extremely possible that he was a crew member, a Leading Stoker of the ship during the Battle of the River Plate.
(Frame measures 82cm x 45cm)
£995
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