A ship's lifeboat nameplate, S.S. Britannic, drilled and mou...

Hammer

£980

A ship's lifeboat nameplate, S.S. Britannic, drilled and mounted on a wooden plaque, with a smaller plaque below 'Sunk in the Lea Channel Nov 21st 1916', 43 cm wide (overall) See illustration

Provenance: the SS Britannic was the third and final vessel of the White Star Lines Olympic class of steamships, and was the fleet mate of both the RMS Olympic and the RMS Titanic. Britannic was launched just before the start of the First World War. In 1915 she was put to use as a hospital ship and served between the UK and the Dardanelles. On the morning of the 21 November 1916, she hit a naval mine near the Greek Island of Kea and foundered 55 minutes later, killing 30 people, including personnel who were chopped to pieces by the propellers having launched the lifeboat before the Captain's order to abandon ship.

Acquired by the vendor's grandfather, sailor Frederick Ben Bates, who served on HMS Penn, which went to the aid of the sinking SS Britannic See illustration