HMS Anson George V Class Battleship Wheel

HMS Anson was a King George V class battleship of the Royal Navy, named after Admiral George Anson. Designed to counter the perceived threat from Nazi Germany, five ships of this class were commissioned: HMS King George V, HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Duke of York, HMS Howe and HMS Anson. When her keel was laid down at Swan Hunter, Tyne & Wear in 1937 she was to be called HMS Jellicoe but when launched in 1940 the name was changed to Anson. She displaced 42, 600 tons, was 745 feet long and had a beam of 130 feet. She had a top speed in excess of 27 knots and her main armament was 10 x 14 inch Mk VII guns. HMS Anson was commissioned in 1942 and won Battle Honours in one of the toughest marine environments of WWII, serving in the Arctic 1942-43. Post war, she was the flagship for the 1st Battle Squadron of the British Pacific Fleet and was finally scrapped at Faslane with the surviving ships of her class in 1957/8. This classic six spoke solid teak wheel is engraved on the central brass hub Brown Brothers & Co Ltd Rosebank Edinburgh and is numbered on the reverse 2437. It carries riveted brass banding front and back which has been hand engraved HMS Anson and below the vessel launch date 1940, as well as her Battle Honours Arctic 1942-43. The king post is fitted with a brass thimble to provide a visual indication for the helmsman. The provenance of this wheel is that it was acquired by marine collector extraordinaire Tom Ferrers Walker when Anson was scrapped and was displayed in his collection until his death. It was subsequently purchased directly from his estate and has never been offered on the open market before. Genuine battleship memorabilia hardly every turn up and we are privileged in having acquired this piece of Royal Navy history. Measures 36" diameter (93 cm)