Three years later he was offered the prestigeous position of President for "The Royal Society of Painters in Watercolour",
and throughout 1940-45, Sir William and Sybylle Flint made their home on a poultry farm in Devon.
Having been in the Royal Air Force, Russell Flint could be permitted access to Devonport Dockyard,(this scene was published by Flint,
and was critically acclaimed as a painting with wonderful perspective) and work, to his heart's content.