((Updated May 2018) This painting's title is the one Everett supplied when it was included in his exhibition at the Goupil Gallery in November 1918 (though his own notes often wrongly spell the ship name 'Nanerig'). For some reason, when the picture was considered for display in America, the Imperial War Museum altered it to ‘Converting Cunard SS Nanerig into an Auxiliary Cruiser’. This has subsequently caused much confusion since no single-funnel Cunarder ever underwent conversion to a merchant cruiser - a cargo ship fitted with guns for convoy defence. The work was done in the Thames and 'Port of London' was sometimes added to the titles of official war pictures done there by Everett for the Ministry of Information, either by the Ministry or by the artist himself. Other features shown, such as the crane on the left and the gun it is moving, are more stylized than practical but the lighter on the left is of the sort commonly found on the Thames.

'Naneric' (5609 gross tons) was one of 13 such escort ships commissioned in World War I, under pendant no. MI.24 (June 1918). It was built in 1895 for the Shaw, Savill & Albion Line as the 'Aotea' but later purchased by the Bank Line, which renamed it. The armament added to it as HMS 'Naneric' was 2 x 6-in. and 2 x 4-in. guns, and 2 x 11-in. anti-submarine howitzers. It was requisitioned in December 1917 and was completing conversion in July 1918 when Everett made his related studies, before starting Atlantic convoy escort work. It was returned to civilian use in March 1919.

Everett was briefly in the army during World War I until invalided out. In 1918 he was commissioned to do paintings connected with sea commerce for the Ministry of Information, with permission to work in the London docks. While Everett was long said not to have sold work during his lifetime, that is an exaggeration: although he had a modest private income he did sell some, but the bulk of his his marine output was bequeathed to the National Maritime Museum. It consists of oil paintings and a large number of drawings and engravings. He was a practical deep-water sailor, understood his subject and his work manifests the knowledge gleaned from living on board. He was also a fine draughtsman and saw sails, ropes and deck fittings in terms of rhythmic patterns. This enabled him to produce powerful and vigorous compositions.