Last of the Tide / Last of the Few

A distinguished group of artists were selected for their skill in drawing from observation.

They include four first prize winners of the BP Portrait Award: Catherine Goodman, Ishbel Myerscough, Stuart Pearson Wright and James Lloyd.

All artists had either graduated from the Royal Drawing School’s postgraduate programme, The Drawing Year, or were current or past teachers at the School. Catherine Goodman is the Artistic Director of the School.

Flight Lieutenant K A Lawrence DFC was drawn by Jessie Makinson (The Drawing Year 2012)

Flight Lieutenant O V Burns AE was drawn by Diarmuid Kelley (The Drawing Year 2002)

Squadron Leader M T Wainwright AFC was drawn by Tara Versey (The Drawing Year 2010)

Squadron Leader S N Rose AE was drawn by Clara Drummond (The Drawing Year 2005)

Squadron Leader T C Iveson DFC AE was drawn by Leigh Fox (The Drawing Year 2011)

Flight Lieutenant W J Green was drawn by Jennifer McRae (The Drawing Year 2001)

Wing Commander P C Farns DFM was drawn by Iris Palmer (The Drawing Year 2002)

Flight Lieutenant W L B Walker AE was drawn by Stuart Pearson Wright (The Drawing Year 2004).

"He was such a dear man, I can't tell you. He really was. The fascinating thing about art, I think, is the way artists capture the spirit of how they see you as a character," The Prince said of this drawing. "That's what he was like - he was always laughing."

Wing Commander T M Kane was drawn by Georgina Sleap (The Drawing Year 2011)

Wing Commander R W Foster DFC AE was drawn by Louise Yates (The Drawing Year 2009)

Geoffrey Harris Augustus Wellum DFC was drawn by Catherine Goodman

Wing Commander T F Neil DFC* AFC AE was drawn by James Lloyd

Flying Officer K A Wilkinson AE was drawn by Ishbel Myerscough

"When I saw this, having looked at those lines in magical Holbein drawings at Windsor for so many years, I thought it was in that sort of extraordinary tradition of economy of line, with just a little bit of colour," The Prince said of this drawing. "He was another marvellous character."

Squadron Leader T G Pickering AE was drawn by Susan Wilson

Wing Commander J F D Elkington was drawn by Peter Kuhfeld

Flight Lieutenant Terry Clark DFM was drawn by Marcus Cornish

Artist Jonathan Yeo, who painted this portrait of veteran Geoffrey Pattinson, said, 'Painting someone who candidly describes the first time they set foot on foreign soil as the time they jumped out of a moving aircraft and parachuted down through flying bullets, to land in Normandy for D-Day, makes Geoffrey one of the more extraordinary sitters I've encountered in my time as a portrait artist.'

Mr Pattinson, Sergeant with 9th Battalion The Parachute Regiment, was to land within the perimeter of the Merville Battery, but, due to a faulty glider, he landed in Hampshire. By the evening of D-Day his platoon had managed to land in Normandy and he re-joined his unit.

Tom Renouf (1925-2016) was painted by Clara Drummond

Dr Tom Renouf, Private (later Lieutenant) with 5th Battalion Black Watch, landed on the third day of the invasion, taking part in the battle for high ground around Breville. He took part in the 51st Highland Division advance into the falaise pocket from Caen to Lisieux.

James 'Jack' Griffiths was painted by Stuart Pearson Wright.

Jack Griffiths was a Pilot with the Glider Pilot Regiment. He flew a glider containing Parachute Regiment soldiers successfully landing on the morning of D-Day. The soldiers went on to destroy bridges over the river Orne.

Brian Stewart was painted by Paul Benney

Stewart was the Anti-Tank Platoon Commander with the Tyneside Scottish, landing a couple of days after D-Day. He took part in the defence of Rauray, where he commanded his platoon against a Panzer counter-attack.

Raymond 'Tich' Rayner (1919-2015) was painted by Ishbel Myerscough.

Tich Rayner, Sergeant with Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, was in Glider Number 4 as part of the operation on Pegasus Bridge. His glider had navigational issues and landed seven miles away from the planned landing zone. He eventually fought his way back to his unit.

"It's astonishing, she's really captured him - and I wouldn't want to bump into him on a dark night!" The Prince said of this painting. "I love the way she's done it with the medals slightly twisted. He's really leaping out of the canvas."

Thomas 'David' Burke was painted by James Lloyd

Burke landed with Canadian forces as a signals sergeant and served through France and Germany until the Nazi surrender. He then worked with the Allied Joint Signals Unit at the Nuremberg trials. He became part of the Cheshire Yeomanry after the War.

James Lloyd, a member of faculty at The Royal Drawing School, with his portrait of D-Day veteran David Burke.

James 'Jim' Glennie was painted by Carl Randall

Mr Glennie was attached to the 5th/7th Gordon Highlanders for the landings on D-Day, subsequently advancing inland and taking up defensive positions near Caen. During a German counter-attack he was wounded and taken prisoner, spending four months as a prisoner of war.

Laurence 'Laurie' Weedon was painted by Martin Yeoman

Laurie Weeden was a Pilot with the Glider Pilot Regiment. He flew a glider during the mass airborne operation on D-Day. He safely landed in Normandy, where his cargo of jeeps, explosives and ammunition was used by 8th Battalion The Parachute Regiment to blow bridges over the River Dives.

Eric Johnston was painted by Catherine Goodman

Johnston was a co-driver within the Reconnaisance Troop. He took part in the battle of Villiers-Bocage and the defence of Hill 103.

Robert Anthony 'Tony' Leake was painted by Eileen Hogan.

Dr Tony Leake, Corporal with the 8th Batallion The Parachute Regiment, took part in the mass parachute drop behind the German lines. He blew bridges over the River Dives and set up defensive positions. The Battalion was cut off for five days, eventually being relieved by the Highland Division.

Patrick 'Pat' Turner was painted by Anthony Williams

Pat Turner was a Private with the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. He was part of the operation on Pegasus Bridge, landing in Glider Number 3 within fifty metres of the bridge. He was absolutely instrumental in the assault and the securing of the Benouville Bridge and a route over Caen canal.