~ Vickers Armstrong Bronze Builders Badge For HMS Cumberland 1928 County Class Heavy Cruiser ~
The badge is of standard and white bronze and bears a Tudor rose and the text ‘HMS Cumberland 1927’.
This piece came to us, indirectly, from the ships original builders.
~ HMS Cumberland ~
HMS Cumberland was a County-class heavy cruiser of the Kent-subclass. For the most of the 1930s, she served off China with the 5th Cruiser Squadron. At the start of the European War, she was sent to Force G off South America. In late 1939, she had to self-refit in the Falkland Islands, which led to the remainder of Force G, Exeter, Ajax, and Achilles, to face German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee on their own at the Battle of the River Plate on 13 Dec 1939; after receiving the message of the engagement, she reached the River Plate at 2200 on 14 Dec, after Admiral Graf Spee had already reached shelter at Montevideo. In 1941, Cumberland served off North Africa. In Oct 1941, she joined the 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Home Fleet, escorting convoys to Russia until Jan 1944. In mid-1944, she was transferred to the Indian Ocean as a part of the 4th Cruiser Squadron of the Eastern Fleet. After the war, she returned to Britain on 12 Nov 1945. After several runs as a troop transport, she was placed in reserve between Jun 1946 and 1949. After refitting at His Majesty’s Dockyard at Devonport, England, Britain, he was reactivated in 1951 as a trials cruiser to test new equipment. In 1956, partially disarmed, she portrayed herself in the film The Battle of the River Plate. In Jan 1959, as the oldest active ship in the Royal Navy, she was decommissioned. She was broken up by A. J. Cashmore beginning on 3 Nov 1959 at Newport, Wales, Britain.
~ Condition ~
Please refer to the images for condition. The piece is in good order.
~ Dimensions ~
The badge is 32 cm (12.5 inches) in diameter.
JA_4383124964
