Although the rescue incident shown in this painting is fictitious, the ship, 'Glengyle', was real and was a cargo liner built for the Glen Line in 1939. 'Glengyle' was the fifth to bear the name and was built by the Caledon Ship Building & Dry-Dock Co., at Dundee. On delivery she was taken over by the Admiralty and converted into a fast supply ship, flying the white ensign as HMS 'Glengyle'. In April 1940 she was converted into a Landing Ship Infantry capable of carrying 700 troops and was commissioned on 10 September that year. For this role she was also equipped with a naval bridge, six 4-inch guns in twin mountings and 22 landing craft. In 1943, in company with the 'Monarch of Bermuda' and four other transports, she was present at the Sicily landing at Pachino, Operation Husky, and served as Montgomery's headquarters.

The painting depicts a drama which did not take place but is intended as a parable, since the vulnerability of a small boat in such a heavy swell parallels the frailty and vulnerability of man confronted with the forces of nature or war.

Burgess was an Australian artist, who trained there and came to England in 1901. He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1904, worked as an illustrator for the Australian government in the First World War and as an official war artist in its successor, 1939-45.