Group Captain Henry S Scroggs DSO by Eric Kennington, pastel on paper

This pastel portrait is one of many made by Eric Kennington during his two-year full-time Official War Artist commission with the Air Ministry through the War Artists' Advisory Committee. A renowned portraitist, he was tasked with portraying high-ranking men in the RAF.

Group Captain Henry Sydney Scroggs, known as ‘Scroggy’, had an illustrious career in military service. He joined the RAF after serving in the Royal Navy, and during the Second World Was he served in Coastal Command, protecting Allied maritime convoys from attacks by German U-boats and the Luftwaffe. In June 1941, Scroggs was promoted and in command of the RAF Station at Thorney Island, Sussex. However, he died later that year in an airfield flying accident. From the Air Ministry allocation of works from the War Artists' Advisory Committee, 1947. Original accession number: LD1400. On loan from the RAF Air Historical Branch (MOD). Copyright: Crown (expired) / RAF Museum.