FOLLOWING an appeal in last week's Times, the identity of a sketch artist whose work hangs in Simmons Park Bowling Club has been revealed.

George 'Stil' Stillings was a professional cartoonist born in 1907 who lived in Exeter and worked for a range of newspapers, including the News of the World.

He is best known for his wartime cartoon book 'Any Gum Chum', and he sketched American boxer Joe Louis after meeting him in 1944. Stillings often drew caricatures of local sports teams.

He sketched a number of notable characters of Okehampton in 1934 of the bowling club members — the work still hangs in the clubhouse. These include former mayors of Okehampton G U Fulford, G K Blatchford, A W Coles, Percy Edgcumbe and Harold Brooking, as well as JJ Newcombe, who was town clerk for more than 50 years.

Stil sketched another caricature of a local sports club a year later in 1935, turning his hand to drawing the Okehampton Miniature Rifle Club. He attended their annual club dinner, and took the opportunity to draw members of the club, which included Okehampton mayor W B Chamings.

The Times is grateful to Hilary and Mike Wreford and Mr Stilling's nephew Frank Huxham for supplying the information.