HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH. Silent sentinel of the Night

. watercolour signed and dated 1925 and inscribed "A silent sentinel of the night: HMS Queen Elizabeth".

HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH. Silent sentinel of the Night

8 3/4 x 22 1/2 ins (22.5 x 57 cms) approx

Price on Application

This original has been sold and is no longer available.

Dated 1925 this classic Frank Watson Wood with its glassy sea and moonlit sky features another classic - the dreadnought HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH with Captain George Chetwode CBE RN in Command and as Flag Captain to the Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet, Acting Admiral Sir Roger Keyes KCB KCVO CMG DSO Bt. The battleship had enjoyed a glittering career since first commisioning in December 1914: sailed for the Mediterranean in February 1915 she became flagship of the East Mediterranean Squadron that month and amongst many other duties on that station was employed off the Dardanelles where her 15 inch main armament was especially useful for shore bombardment. By May 1915 she was back in the Grand Fleet in home waters and although a routine dry docking ensured she missed the Battle of Jutland in May 1916, by November of that year she was again a flagship, this time wearing the flag of Admiral Beatty, Commander-in-Chief Grand Fleet.  The formal surrender of the German High Seas Fleet in November 1918 was effected aboard QE who then the led the 375 ships of the Royal and Allied Navies when they made rendezvous with the German Fleet and led it under escort into the Firth of Forth. When Admiral of the Fleet Sir David Beatty hauled down his flag in April 1919 QE continued to serve as a flagship up until 1926 when she went into long refit.

The Second World War saw her again as flagship to a succession of admirals and C-in-Cs both in the Mediterranean and Eastern Fleets.  She went into Reserve in August 1945, some 30 years after first commisssioning and from there her career came to its inevitable end: she was sold for scrap in 1948 and since then the Royal Navy has been without a QUEEN ELIZABETH.  2017, however,  will see that omission rectified when a new aircraft carrier bearing this proud name is due to commission into the Fleet.