HMCS PICTOU
 

© IWM (A 8327)
The Petty Officer who painted the crest, puts on the finishing touches.
During the Second World War, Canadian warships adopted a variety of unofficial crests, as well as artworks prominently placed on their gun shields. While some were based on the ship's name, or featured characters based on popular cultural references, others had less obvious origins. In Pictou's case, the griffon was a reference to the ship's commanding officer, Anthony Griffin.
From;Canada's Naval History


http://media.iwm.org.uk/ciim5/27/281...at=photographs

A caption for the same photo on another site (about the ship) identifies the individuals and timeframe.

http://www.forposterityssake.ca/GALLERIES/PICTOU.htm
That particular gun was also the subject of a painting by one of Canada's official war artists.
http://www.warmuseum.ca/collections/...ia_irn=5387173