Raid on Vaagso, Norway, 26 - 27 December 1941

17th March 1942: Discovers from accounts of the Vaagso raid that his cousin Will Byles was in command of the “Prince Leopold” .

29th June 1942: “Began painting again on the Vaagso picture. It is going to be extremely difficult fitting the warships into the left hand corner as their lines disturb the rhythm of the centre of the painting.”

12th July 1942: Will Byles approves the painting of Vaagso.. “ He said it was ‘it’.”

22nd October 1942: " War paintings at NG: “My painting of ‘Vaagso’ and ‘Destroyer Rescuing Shipwrecked Crew’ were hung between Henry Moore’s …

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17th March 1942: Discovers from accounts of the Vaagso raid that his cousin Will Byles was in command of the “Prince Leopold” .

29th June 1942: “Began painting again on the Vaagso picture. It is going to be extremely difficult fitting the warships into the left hand corner as their lines disturb the rhythm of the centre of the painting.”

12th July 1942: Will Byles approves the painting of Vaagso.. “ He said it was ‘it’.”

22nd October 1942: " War paintings at NG: “My painting of ‘Vaagso’ and ‘Destroyer Rescuing Shipwrecked Crew’ were hung between Henry Moore’s Coal Mine drawings so they looked rather well. Sir Kenneth Clark asked me how I liked the hanging. Had my photo taken by the press in front of Vaagso."

From the Richard Eurich interview by James Mellen done in 1978 for the Imperial War Museum "Artists in an Age of Conflict" series of sound recordings
"The Vaagso raid was a very quiet affair. I can’t remember a great deal about it. I was given full details about this stealing up through the fjords in Norway to destroy certain enemy installations. I don’t understand the technical side of it, but the Germans were making heavy water whatever that may be, something apparently very dangerous up in Norway. And they wanted to destroy this affair. This painting was very much liked …

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From the Richard Eurich interview by James Mellen done in 1978 for the Imperial War Museum "Artists in an Age of Conflict" series of sound recordings
"The Vaagso raid was a very quiet affair. I can’t remember a great deal about it. I was given full details about this stealing up through the fjords in Norway to destroy certain enemy installations. I don’t understand the technical side of it, but the Germans were making heavy water whatever that may be, something apparently very dangerous up in Norway. And they wanted to destroy this affair. This painting was very much liked by people who had taken part in the raid which rather surprised me."