An afternoon visit to Agatha Christie’s wonderful holiday home, at Greenway, is just enough to seek out a mural painted high on the walls of the library.
Of course, Greenway House was famously requisitioned during World War II to house American Officers from the 10th US Coast Guard flotilla, who were planning the French D Day landings of 1944. One landing craft officer, a Lt Marshall Lee, was the artist who produced the artwork that is preserved at Greenway.
Marshall Lee was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1921. He had a natural talent for drawing and trained as a commercial artist for a local newspaper. Lee was training as an illustrator at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and when WWII started, he enlisted in the Coast Guard Reserve – as did many other US artists.
The wonderful mural in the library starts in the corner above the doorway. And your eyes can follow the mural around the room, as it depicts this flotilla’s engagements aboard U.S.S LCI (L) – 96 over the 11 months leading up to D Day. The last image ends with a painting of arrival in Devon. A curious lady painted nearby is in different style. And may even be a late addition after the American had left by someone else…
Paints were limited and the whole mural is painted in just four military colours of blues and khaki, documenting the Flotilla’s journey via the North African occupation in Tunisia, action in Salerno in Sicily, and finally Devon.
After WW II, Agatha Christie returned to her house on Christmas day 1945.
She had the option to paint over this artwork and return the house to its original décor. But Agatha chose to leave the frieze uncovered.
When Greenway was taken on by the National Trust in 2000, this historic mural was thoughtfully restored. Conservationists even contacted Lt Lee for advice during the restoration.
The American Officers quickly left in June 1944 to participate in the Normandy invasion, landing on Utah Beach, and the house was empty. Marshall Lee survived the war and took various roles before returning to New York in 1948 and back to Publishing and book design.
Marshall Lee did return once more to Greenway in retirement and took a further look at his mural. He died in Schuylersviller, New York in 2010 at the age of 89.
His fantastic mural lives on as a record of his part in modern history
Interesting – beautiful
Love that Agatha chose to keep the painting intact and that the artist returned to see his creation ❤️