It was ultimately illustrator, poster and marine artist Norman Wilkinson (then a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve) who had the drive and the charisma to motivate the Admiralty into adopting the idea of ‘disruptive camouflage’, an idea previously ridiculed as outlandish..

His take was a lot bolder.. Accepting that vessels could never be disguised, the aim was to create as much visual confusion as possible. By applying a cornucopia of contrasting patterns and colours to the ships, it became difficult for the enemy to discern the shape and class of ship, as well as its speed and course. This meant that trying to calculate the trajectory for a torpedo (typically from a distance of around 1.5 miles away) became very difficult, and the slightest misalignment could mean the difference between being hit or not..

The pattern schemes were first tested on models and viewed through a periscope in a specially built model room. If considered successful, the designs would be sent down to the docks and applied to the designated ship.

So, by order of the Admiralty and under total secrecy, a team of artists was quickly put together under the leadership of Wilkinson. Based at the Royal Academy School of Art in London, almost all of the student artists were women (as most of the men had been conscripted into the army). They were joined by other leading artists, sculptors and set designers of the day, notably Edward Wadsworth, a prominent exponent of vorticism.