australian war memorial collection
His dream to go to sea became a reality just before the outbreak of World War II; Os served on coastal steamers around Australia. He spent the war years aboard RMS Queen Elizabeth, mostly between New York and Firth of Clyde in Scotland. Many opportunities arose for Os to sketch onboard scenes whilst off duty. The 1985 book, Queen Elizabeth at War: His Majesty’s Transport, 1939–46, by Chris Konings and illustrated by Os, showcases his fine drawing skills and observation of technical detail. Late in the war, Os met his future wife, Gertrude Steacy (now deceased), when the Queen Elizabeth made a port stop in New York. They married in 1944, settled in suburban Sunrise at Suez, oil on canvas, 24 x 36 inches RMS Queen Elizabeth approaching the anchorage at Port Taufik, Egypt, with the last detachment of Australian troops to the Middle East, Monday, 24 November 1941. Her escort is the Indian navy sloop Sutlej. (left) Port Wing of the Bridge, RMS Queen Elizabeth at Sea, North Atlantic, Spring 1943 “Sketched from my lookout post high in the crow’s nest looking aft. The ship is westbound at 26 knots.”
(below) SS Burwah and the Sydney Pilot Steamer Captain Cook, gouache, 7 1/2 x 10 inches The Burwah is shown rounding inner South Head, Port Jackson, New South Wales, and standing to seaward in a southeasterly blow in 1939. The pilot steamer Captain Cook is running before a following sea as she heads towards her mooring buoy in Watson’s Bay. The red-and-white Hornby Light (at right) stands on Inner South Head. New York and raised two children, Walter and Elizabeth. During the decade following the war, Os perfected his skill as an artist; his paintings in this era became more alive and his sea and sky moved. Artist John Stobart wrote of Os Brett’s firsthand knowledge of ships and the sea: Os has developed a wonderful facility for accurately portraying sea states and in placing his ships in those seas with such realism that they always look as if they’re ready to sail right off the canvas. Oswald Brett is one of the finest marine artists of the 20th century. His historic ship portraits are always meticulously researched and technically accurate to the nth degree, but they also capture another quality that speaks of the painter’s long and often arduous experience at sea. 32
SEA HISTORY 161, WINTER 2017–18