During the Second World War, John Kingsley Cook (1911-94) served in the merchant navy as a wireless officer. He joined in 1940, and went on his first sea voyage, to the United States, in December 1940. In the summer of 1941, Cook was involved in a secret mission to bring relief in Malta, where the crew were welcomed by the cheers of the islanders. They spent several weeks there, Cook drawing the sights of the island during their stay. The 'Empire Guillemot' was sunk on its way back to Gibraltar, on 24 October 1941.This drawing was washed out by immersion in the sea after Cook's lifeboat capsized four days later. The survivors were washed ashore on the coast of Algeria. Taken into captivity, they were held there until liberated after the Allied landing in North Africa in 1942. Cook resumed service after a few months recuperating at home, and was discharged in August 1945, when he joined the staff at the Edinburgh College of Art. There, he taught engraving and graphic design and lectured on the History of Art, before being appointed Head of Design in 1960. He retired in 1971.

Throughout the war, Cook drew life at sea and in captivity. He also created a number of retrospective drawings in the 1980s, when he was working on his (as yet unpublished) memoirs. 262 drawings and 2 paintings of his wartime experiences were presented by his family to the National Maritime Museum in 2012.