~ HMS Thunderer 1911 Battleship Bronze Main Battery Tompion ~
The badge is an original piece from the ship and would have been mounted on one of the ships main battery 13.5 inch guns. It has two screws and is now mounted on a later wooden shield. A note on the back says it originally came from Chatham dockyard and was fitted to No. 2 gun, i.e. from the front turret.
It bears the ships name and the depicts Zeus amongst thunder bolts.
~ HMS Thunderer ~
HMS Thunderer was the fourth and last Orion-class dreadnought battleship built for the Royal Navy in the early 1910’s. She spent the bulk of her career assigned to the Home and Grand Fleets. Aside from participating in the Battle of Jutland in May 1916 and the inconclusive Action of 19 August, her service during World War I generally consisted of routine patrols and training in the North Sea.
After the Grand Fleet was dissolved in early 1919, Thunderer was transferred back to the Home Fleet for a few months before she was assigned to the Reserve Fleet. The ship was converted into a training ship for naval cadets in 1921 and served in that role until she was sold for scrap in late 1926. While being towed to the scrapyard, Thunderer ran aground; the ship was refloated and subsequently broken up.
~ Condition ~
The badge is in good order.
~ Dimensions ~
The tompion is 22.5 cm (9 inches) tall by 17.5 cm (7 inches) wide.
#9792