Posted 14 years ago
ttomtucker
(313 items)
I'm pretty sure this bell was used by the United States Navy. It don't think it's ships bell, but how and where did they use it. the only marking on the bell bracket is B-1. Any thoughts out there.
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My husband was in the Navy, he thinks this was a ships bell. He was on the USS Jason and they had a similar bell they used for ringing when coming into port or when it was time to eat.
That looks like a quarterdeck bell. You have a commanding officer's bell! Do you have authorization soldier?? :P
I'm not so sure this was an officer's bell. Quarterdeck bells were typically more fancy, made of brass. But heck, what do I know! lol
I added another photo of what I think a Navy ship bell should look like. My grandfather served on the USS Kentucky BB-6 during ww1. The bell from that ship was going to be transferred to the new USS Kentucky BB-66 that was being built during ww2. The new USS Kentucky was never completed because the war had ended. The bell is now at the military museum in Frankfort Ky.
http://www.landandseacollection.com/id614.html
vikingfan, Thanks for the information on the quarterdeck bell. My dad served on several destroyer ships over the years, he was known as a "Tin Can Sailor".
Thanks to your dad for his service! My grandfather was on LST 339 during WWII, he was a signalman.
It looks to be made of cast iron with a gold paint. I have seen the type of bell your referring to the polished brass at some of the Naval stations my dad was stationed at. one was NAD West Loch, TH in front of the enlisted barrack. I remember all the bottoms of the palm trees being paint white and even the rocks around the trees were paint white.
This particular bell was made in the 1970s at the C S Bell Company foundry in Hillsboro, Ohio. I worked at the foundry during that period when the last of these navy bells were cast. The eagle on top was used during that time period exclusively and is a dead giveaway for the period of this particular bell.
The C S Bell Company did cast thousands of 'white iron' bells for the U. S., Russian and Brittish Navies during WW II as copper, brass etc was in great demand for artilery shells and other crucial wartime needs.
The Crystal Metal Alloy, as it was formally referred to, was perfected by Charles S. Bell and was very difficult to duplicate given the technology available prior to spectometers and other metalurgical advances.
Mr Bell's secret alloy was only known by the cupola tender and a few other principals in the company.
The early history of the C S Bell co Can be found at
http://www.highland-ohio.com/c_s_bell_company.htm
Tim Koehl, Thanks for the very valuable information about the C S Bell Co.
i think its a submarine bell
no the patio door
So what is this particular bell worth?
Jake, My guess is around $100.00 to $150.00 with the mounting breacket and all.
I've got the twin to this bell but it's on a custom made stand.
Outstanding! Thanks to all of you folks that helped TTOMTUCKER and me figure out exactly what we had. This is the only time that I've seen another one of these bells.
I am trying to restore my grandfathers bell. Are the original.colors gold and black?
Mine is just painted gold. There's no black on it anywhere.
This BELL...ia Cast Iron..
CAST IRON BELLS were made in WW2.. BRASS was at a premium for AMMUNITION..and BIG BRASS NAVAL SHELLS...... So--BELLS od BRASS were not made for a large part of WW2....CAST IRON BELLS were made..and...the BELL here - shown...was a SHIP Bell... Of that there is NO DOUBT AT ALL... Some of these were on the MANY Destroyers punched out for WW2..Many were sunk quickly.. I have several of the CAST IRON Bells from Sunken ships that the Philippino Divers got for me in LEYTE GULF...
NOW -- you have ....THE REST OF THE STORY...... top
This bell was made for the Navy during WWII and was used when they were taking the boys from the ship to the beaches. I live in Hillsboro