HMS HAWKINS PLAQUE

[Brett Hendey]

A resident of Winston Park near Durban has dug up a metal plaque in his garden and wonders if it is of any interest to collectors and, if so, what is its value?

[leigh kitchen]

Interesting, what's its diameter? Cast iron?

Operated around Africa during WWII, including a refits & repairs at Smithstown & Simonstown.

Some kind of presentation piece from the ship, or somethng "souvenired" by a worker?

A reference on wiki to Durban:

"She left Montevideo on 5 September 1940 to sail to Simonstown, South Africa for a refit. Before she could make use of the dry dock, it was occupied by the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes, which was undergoing repairs after having been damaged in a collision with a merchant ship. Hawkins was diverted to Durban where she spent seven weeks waiting before she was able to dock in the Selborne dry dock at Simonstown."

[leigh kitchen]

Now I've seen the crest in colour, I can see that it may be considered to have a certain significance in South African terms? Is the figure breaking bonds?

A little fanciful but - souvenired & hidden away by a black African worker in the shipyards?

(From This web site: http://www.ts-hawkins.com/hmshawkins.htm )

Edited May 4, 2009 by leigh kitchen

[Brett Hendey]

I had previously seen only a photo of the plaque, but I now have it at hand. It is 14 cm in diameter and it weighs 1.5 kg, so it is a substantial object. The reverse is plain, with no sign of the method of fixing to another surface. It still has earth adhering to it, but a greenish tinge shows through on the metal suggesting copper in involved.

The previous owner of the house where the plaque was found evidently served in the RAF during and after WWII. He died recently and had no local relatives. I will try to find out more about him but I suspect that, if there was a link between him and the plaque, the story died with him.

I wonder if the ?negro slave breaking his bonds depicted on the HMS Hawkins' emblem has something to do with the RN's fight against slave traders? Perhaps there was an earlier HMS Hawkins that was so engaged.

Regards

Brett

[Tiger-pie]

Not if it was named after Sir John Hawkins, who was a slave trader (he served with Francis Drake). A search for a ships motto and heraldic data turned up nothing.