Lot 3589

Description

Portrait of Captain John A.Collins CB RAN, (later Vice Admiral Sir John Collins KBE, CB), an original portrait from 1943 in coloured chalk by the Australian artist Charles Wheeler OBE, DCM, the portrait (23.5x31cm) matt framed under perspex within a black and gold timber frame (41x50cm). As new.

Captain Collins commanded HMAS Sydney, a modified Leander Class light cruiser, from 16 Nov 1939 to 15 May 1941. During this time, the Sydney gained much fame for its sinking of the Italian cruiser, Bartolomeo Colleoni and was feted everywhere she went and on her return to Sydney she was presented with a plaque by the Citizens of Sydney for her great victory. Fortunately for Captain Collins, or Colleoni John as he was nicknamed by the crew, he handed over command of the Sydney in Fremantle, Western Australia on 15 May 1941 to Captain Joseph Burnett RAN. Captain Collins' good fortune was Captain Burnett's bad fortune because the Sydney, while on patrol duties in the Indian Ocean, encountered the German Navy's largest auxiliary cruiser disguised as a Dutch merchant ship, MV Straat Malakka, and a battle ensued. The Kormoran was sunk and Sydney was last seen limping off into the distance and was not seen again. All 42 officers and 603 ratings were lost. It was not until March 2008 before both wrecks were finally found in the vast Indian Ocean.

See lot 3571 for medals to the artist Charles Wheeler OBE, DCM and an outline of his career in art.