John Worsley (artist) facts for kids

John Godfrey Bernard Worsley (born February 16, 1919 – died October 3, 2000) was a talented British artist and illustrator. He was famous for his paintings of naval battles and portraits of important leaders.

John Worsley was one of the few artists who worked during World War II. He was the only official war artist to be captured by the Germans. While he was a prisoner of war, he drew pictures of life in the camp. He even helped create fake identity papers and a clever mannequin named Albert R.N. to help someone escape!

Later in his life, Worsley became the president of the Royal Society of Marine Artists. Many of his paintings are now in famous museums like the Imperial War Museum and the National Maritime Museum.

John Worsley's Early Life

"Rum Issue": a sketch by John Worsley

John Worsley was born in Liverpool, England. When he was just six months old, his family moved to Kenya, where they lived on a coffee farm.

In 1928, John returned to England for school. He went to St. Winifred's boarding school. He then won a scholarship to Brighton College. After that, he studied art for three years at Goldsmiths' School of Art.

After finishing art school in 1938, John started working as an illustrator. He mainly drew pictures for romance magazines.

War Artist and Prisoner

When World War II began, John Worsley joined the Royal Navy. For three years, he helped protect ships carrying supplies across the Atlantic and North Sea. He served on several ships, including HMS Laurentic.

In November 1940, the Laurentic was attacked and sunk. John Worsley survived and made sketches while in an open lifeboat. His drawings of life at sea during wartime caught the eye of Kenneth Clark, who was in charge of the War Artists' Advisory Committee. John was then chosen as one of two full-time artists to work with the Commander-in-Chief in Malta.

In 1943, the Navy sent John to an island in the north Adriatic Sea. He hoped to draw Allied soldiers setting up a base. However, his group was captured by the Germans.

As a prisoner, John Worsley continued to draw. His pictures showed camp life with warmth and humor. He also used his artistic skills for secret missions. He helped create fake documents and a very clever life-size dummy named Albert.

Albert was made from newspaper, wire, and human hair. He even had blinking eyes made from ping-pong balls! For four days, Albert tricked the prison guards during roll-call. This allowed a lieutenant to escape. Even though the escapee was later caught, Albert was hidden away for future escape plans.

After the War

After the war ended, John Worsley continued to work for the Navy. He painted portraits of important officers.

Later, he started working for popular children's comics like Eagle and Girl. He became very famous for his comic strip called The Adventures of P.C. 49, which was about a British police officer.

Besides comics, John also illustrated magazines and advertisements. He even helped Scotland Yard, the famous police force. His ability to draw people based on descriptions helped them catch a suspect in a big case.

In the 1970s, John Worsley started creating art for family TV shows. He drew hundreds of large pictures for animated versions of classic stories like The Wind in the Willows, Treasure Island, A Christmas Carol, and The Little Grey Men. These drawings were later sold as large prints for children.

Throughout his life, John Worsley illustrated over forty books. His last book was about his own adventures during World War II.

John Worsley passed away on October 3, 2000, at the age of 81.

Years after his death, a collection of his wartime sketches was found in his studio. His step-daughter showed them on a special TV show called Antiques Roadshow in 2019. The sketches were still owned by his family at that time.

Selected Works

Illustrations for Books

• Guy Morgan (1945), P.O.W.
• Guy Morgan (1945), Only Ghosts can Live
• Stephen MacFarlane (1946), Detectives in Greasepaint
• John Keir Cross (1946), Studio 'J' Investigates
• Robert Harling (1946), The Steep Atlantick Stream
• The Illustrated London News (1949)
• Eric Romilly (1949), Bleeding from the Roman
• Thomas Cubbin (1950), The Wreck of the Serica
• Eagle Annual Number 2 (1953)
• Eric Phillips and Alan Stranks (1953), P.C. 49 "Eagle" Strip Cartoon Book
• Alan Stranks (1954), P.C. 49 "Eagle" Strip Cartoon Book Number 2
• Alan Stranks (1954), On the Beat with P.C. 49
• Alan Stranks (1955), PC 49 Annual
• Roderick Langmere Haig-Brown (1949), Saltwater Summer
• George Beardmore (1956), Belle of the Ballet's Gala Performance
• George Beardmore (1957), Belle of the Ballet's Country Holiday
• George Beardmore (1958), Scandale a la Cour
• George Beardmore (1958), Le Secret De La Ballerine
• Ships (1962)
• John Gordon Williams (1963), God in the Space Age
• Macdonald Hastings (1971), Sydney the Sparrow
• Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, retold by Jane Carruth (1975)
• Johanna Spyri's Heidi, retold by Jane Carruth (1975)
• Anna Sewell's Black Beauty, retold by Jane Carruth (1975)
• Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers, retold by Jane Carruth (1976)
• Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer, retold by Jane Carruth (1977)
• R.D. Blackmore's 'Lorna Doone, retold by Jane Carruth (1979)
• Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, retold by Jane Carruth (1982)
• Kenneth Grahame (1982), The Wind in the Willows
• John Worsley (1984), foreword to A Roving Reporter: A Tribute to the Memory of Donald Charles Orbach 1914–1982
• Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, retold by Jane Carruth (1984)
• Charles Dickens, ed. Jane Wilton-Smith (1985), A Christmas Carol
• Alan Stranks (1990), The Adventures of P.C. 49 (Eagles Classics)
• Kenneth Grahame (1990), Mr. Toad (the Wind in the Willows Library)
• Barry O'Brien, Kaj Melendez, and Mirza Javed (1962), Ace London

Selected Film and TV Work

• The Captive Heart (1946)
• Albert R.N. (1953)
• Anglia Story Series: The Wind in the Willows (1969)
• Anglia Story Series: The Winter of Enchantment (1970)
• Anglia Story Series: A Christmas Carol (1970)
• Anglia Story Series: Treasure Island (1972)
• Anglia Story Series: Baldmoney, Sneezwort, Dodder and Cloudberry (The Little Grey Men) (1975)
• Anglia Story Series: The Whisper of Glocken (1976/ 1980)