Lot 351: Bairnsfather (Bruce, 1888-1959). To Commander

Bairnsfather (Bruce, 1888-1959). To Commander Saxton R.N. All the best from Old Bill, Bruce Bairsfather. ïPerhaps itsÍ as well that Old Bill was not in the NavyÍ, pencil and crayon drawing on brown paper, of Old Bill dressed as a sailor sitting on a mooring bollard, 34 x 25.5cms (13.5 x 9.75 inches). Sidney Waring Saxton was an assistant paymaster on board H.M.S. Formidable when she was torpedoed of Portland on 31st December 1915. A huge storm hampered and rescue attempts and Saxton was one of only 200 men to survive from a crew of 747. When he recovered from his ordeal he was given civilian clothes, a train ticket to London and sent on leave. In the train carriage with him were two women, who seeing a man obviously of call-up age, not in unifrom and travelling in civilian clothes, gave him a white feather, which at the time was a sign of cowardice. History does not relate his response but as his nickname was ïSwearing SaxtonÍ one can imagine that the two ladies were left in no doubt as to their mistake. Between the wars Saxton served on The Royal Yacht but eventually left the Navy and trained as a barrister and was called to the Bar in 1925. He married and served as a district commissioner in the Gold Coast in West Africa. He returned to the U.K. and settled in Bosham in West Sussex until his death in 1965. Saxton met and became friends with Bairnsfather in Grundisburgh in Essex where they were both regulars in the village pub. A scarce drawing of BairnsfatherÍs famous soldier ïOld BillÍ transformed into a sailor and drawn as a gift for Commander Sydney Waring Saxton. (1)