As an official war artist, Bone spent some time in a variety of naval shipping during the Second World War, including aircraft carriers. This is the deck of an aircraft carrier, possibly the escort carrier HMS 'Pursuer', during the war. HMS 'Pursuer' played a vital part in guarding the Atlantic convoys. The painting has been taken from the bridge and shows aircraft on the flight deck with a number of sailors, preoccupied with the variety of tasks involved in aircraft taking off at sea. A pilot is shown on the companionway leading down from the bridge. The artist has thus portrayed the moment when three Grumman Wildcat fighters are about to take off to protect the convoy seen on the horizon. The viewpoint is that of the vessel's commander, standing on the bridge at the moment when the order to clear the flight deck is being announced.

Stephen Bone was a prolific Admiralty war artist and a lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve. His records of the Second World War include paintings from Normandy beaches in June 1944, life on board aircraft carriers and S-class submarines, and views of dockyards around Britain. The painting has been signed by the artist. The National Maritime Museum holds over 30 of Bone's oil paintings, painted for the War Artists Advisory Committee.