Item details: A brass ship’s bell, approximately 30cm wide at the mouth, inscribed with the text ‘RIFLEMAN 1944’ in black and red.
About the Item
This brass ship’s bell once hung aboard HMS Rifleman, an ocean minesweeper that served during the Second World War, and which had an official affiliation with the 60th (King’s Royal Rifle Corps).
As recorded in the Royal Green Jackets Chronicle (1969), Major A.E.K. Karslake wrote that “the affiliation between the Green Jackets and HMS Rifleman was brought to a final conclusion in October when the Ship’s bell came to rest at Winchester.” Its arrival was due largely to the efforts of Captain Michael Beeching, Royal Navy, the ship’s final commanding officer. On learning that the bell was to be sold by the Navy, Captain Beeching ensured that the Regiment’s bid for it was successful, and arranged for it to be brought south from Rosyth in naval transport.
About HMS Rifleman
HMS Rifleman was a 950-ton ocean minesweeper, launched in 1943. Completed in February 1944, she mounted a 4-inch gun and carried a crew of around 80. By June that year, she was taking part in one of the most significant operations of the Second World War: the Normandy landings. The following year, she was sent to Burma, before returning to the Mediterranean in 1948 where an official affiliation with the 60th (King’s Royal Rifle Corps) was established.
Her badge was a Maltese Cross with a bugle in the centre, but the choice of motto caused some light-hearted debate. “Celer et Audux” (Swift and Bold) was the obvious choice given her connection with the Regiment, but with a maximum speed of 15 knots, the Navy felt she could hardly be described as “Celer,” . However, in recognition of her nerve-racking service off Normandy and Greece, the simpler motto “Audax,” was chosen. To commemorate the alliance, the Regiment presented a silver rose bowl to the ship.
The affiliation between ship and regiment was close and friendly. In 1952, Brigadier (then Major) Freddie Mellor visited Rifleman at Port Said and received a replica of her badge on behalf of the Regiment, “amid scenes of traditional naval hospitality.” The following year, Rifleman took part in the Coronation Review at Spithead, where officers of the Regiment attended as guests of the ship. By early 1955, HMS Rifleman was transferred to the Reserve Fleet and, a few years later, broken up.
The first ship that carried the name Rifleman was launched in 1804 as the Telegraph, and renamed Rifleman after her purchase by the Royal Navy. The name remained in near-continuous use for a series of ships until the 1950s, when the last one was broken up, and—despite the hopes of the Regiment—no new HMS Rifleman was christened. Her bell remains in the Museum as a reminder of the close and cheerful friendship between the Regiment and the men of their Naval namesake.
