Mounted Italian shrapnel fragment: Stoker Eric Charles Evans, HMAS Sydney

Steel shrapnel fragment from the Bartolomeo Colleoni's hit on HMAS Sydney's foremast funnel, mounted on an oval shaped brown bakelite base.

HMAS Sydney was involved in a battle with two Italian cruisers off Cape Spada, Crete on the morning of 19 July 1940. A shell fired by the 'Bartolomeo Colleoni', which was sunk by the HMAS 'Sydney' during the battle, damaged the foremast funnel on 'Sydney'.

Evans noted in his eyewitness account of the action (held at AWM2020.7.72)

"Enemy coming towards us (9.22 am) salvo fell close to the ship (9.23 am) another one very close, our speed thirty three quarter knots. Enemy speed 10 knots salvoes are now falling all round. Enemy scores their first hit, we stop a Direct Action Shell on our foremast funnel, blows a fair sized hole in it, shell fragments doing a small amount of damage around the upper deck, they are still straddling us with salvoes, but we have just scored a corking hit, bits are flying everywhere from her, she seems just about jiggered and is nearly stopped, completely out of control but is still firing." The Bartolomeo Colleoni was sunk by the Sydney's gunfire moments later.

This piece of shrapnel was collected from the deck of the 'Sydney' near the damaged funnel. It was mounted and given to 16069 Stoker Eric Charles Evans who was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for 'gallant and successful service' during the action.