[1] Mike Peyton was born into a mining family in County Durham, the son of a disabled First World War veteran.
Freed by the advancing Soviet army, he fought alongside Russian troops as they invaded Nazi Germany from the East.
After the war Peyton worked as a freelance cartoonist for the New Scientist for 35 years,[4] as well as contributing cartoons to a wide range of magazines, including the Church of England Times, Corsetry & Underwear, Practical Boat Owner and Yachting Monthly.
[5] His biography, PEYTON: The World’s Greatest Yachting Cartoonist, was written by Dick Durham and published by Adlard Coles Nautical in 2010.
In 2012 the Royal Cruising Club gave Peyton their award for lifetime services to yachting.