| Place | Oceania: Pacific Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, New Britain, Gazelle Peninsula, Rabaul Area, Rabaul |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL29310.004 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Wood; Brass |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Date made | c 1945 |
| Conflict |
Korea, 1950-1953 Second World War, 1939-1945 |
Brass plaque accompanying the bell of HMS Glory
Description
Brass plaque with impressed lettering 'BELL of H.M.S. GLORY - AIRCRAFT CARRIER 1945-1955'. The enscribed brass plaque is screwed to a routed and shaped timber plynth.
History / Summary
This plaque is from the Light Fleet Aircraft Carrier, HMS GLORY, which was built by Harland and Wolff and launched in Belfast on 27 November 1943. HMS GLORY was the second ship of seven in the Colossus Class. In September 1945 the Japanese surrender at Rabaul was signed on her flight deck. In the early 1960s, when the HMS GLORY was being decommissioned, Lord Louis Mountbatten, Chief of the British Defence Forces and Admiral of the Fleet, allowed this bell to be taken by Mr F C Wilkins, CB, a retiree of the Royal Navy who had served for forty seven years.