Royal Navy museum unveils 'forgotten' portrait of Indian sailor

Nikhil Ahluwalia travelled to the museum in Portsmouth especially to watch as the painting was unveiled

A 1950s portrait of an Indian sailor whose identity was a mystery until museum staff tracked down his family has been put on public display.

The oil painting of Sub Lt Suresh Chandra Ahluwalia had spent decades in the National Museum of the Royal Navy's archives before recently resurfacing.

It was discovered it had been painted by his friend and colleague Inam Chowdhury while they trained in the UK.

The Indian naval officer's son said his late father would have been "chuffed".

Sub Lieutenant Suresh Chandra Ahluwalia was painted by his friend in the 1950s

Nikhil Ahluwalia, 61, travelled to the museum in Portsmouth especially to watch as the painting was unveiled.

"My dad never mentioned [this painting] so he probably didn't know about its existence at all," Mr Ahluwalia told the BBC.

The painting shows the officer, who died aged 84 in 2017, deep in thought whilst sitting at his desk.

It had been found as part of a project involving members of the local community who were invited to pick objects of interest to be restored.

Lucky Haque (left) and fellow Chat over Chai member Sandra Hall (right) were at the unveiling with the museum's community producer Jo Valentine

Lucky Haque, from the Chat over Chai community group, said: "When I saw that painting I was actually quite emotional because when I was going around the stores, the archives - some of the things weren't very nice.

"And to see that painting was a bit hope, a bit of resonation for me."

Jo Valentine, community producer at the museum, added: "To actually find one of our objects, to see the journey it's gone on, seeing how emotionally connected everybody is to it, to actually manage to find the family of the painting who didn't even know it existed - I think that's a little bit of magic."

The painting will now become a permanent exhibit at the museum.