Trinity Marine recently auctioned off a ton of historic RN ship’s bells, primarily from the 20th Century, from the Ferrers-Walker Royal Navy Collection. These were formally on loan to the RN’s Portsmouth Dockyard museum but never put on display (“Most of his collection was acquired directly from the shipbreakers where most of the WW2 fleet were getting scrapped after the War, notably Thomas Ward in Inverkeithing, after which he continued his hobby buying from auctions and private collections right up to the 1990’s”).
While it is sad that the bells are not preserved in a museum on public display, at least it is good to know that they weren’t scrapped or otherwise deep-sixed and lost to history over the years. Plus, it always opens the possibility that these relics may find their way to museums at one point in the future.
Clik here to view.
HMS Dumbarton Castle (P265) Patrol Ship bell
Clik here to view.
HMS Kittiwake 1937 Sloop bell
Clik here to view.
HMS Sharpshooter 1917 Destroyer bell
Clik here to view.
HMTB 29 1909 Torpedo Boat bell
Clik here to view.
HMS Cairo (D87) Cruiser bell
Clik here to view.
HMS Amphitrite 1899 Cruiser bell
Clik here to view.
HMS Surf 1943 Submarine bell
Clik here to view.
HMS Jupiter 1899 Battleship bell
Clik here to view.
HMS Rinaldo 1901 Sloop bell
Clik here to view.
HMS Royalist 1915 Cruiser bell
Clik here to view.
HMS Matchless 1914 Destroyer bell
Clik here to view.
HMS Minos 1914 Destroyer bell
Clik here to view.
HMS Scott 1939 Minesweeper bell
Clik here to view.
HMS G4 1915 Submarine bell
Clik here to view.
HMS Newfoundland (59) Cruiser bell
Clik here to view.
HMS Rodney 1927 Battleship bell
Clik here to view.
HMS Trident 1915 Destroyer bell
Clik here to view.
HMS Vengeance 1944 Aircraft Carrier bell
Clik here to view.
HMS Vesper 1918 Destroyer bell
Clik here to view.
HMS Wild Swan 1919 Destroyer bell
Also hitting the block were a series of treadplates, name boards, gun tompions, screen badges, and ship’s badges. In all, some 160 artifacts were turned back out to the wild.
