New Acquisitions: The Highlights of 2024

This sword relates to probably the most famous single ‘prize’ ever taken by the Royal Navy (the galleon was carrying over 33 tonnes of silver). 

It rounds off a story of a journey around the world, a squadron being decimated by scurvy (inspiring the search for the eventual cure), the mutiny on the Wager, and finally the capture of this Manilla Galleon, which, due to the losses to scurvy and mutiny, made the surviving crews instantly rich, propelling Anson to fame, fortune (£91,000 – over £10m today) and high rank, and sent the men of the lower deck on a notorious spending spree (they received around £300 each – 20 years’ wages). 

It went down in naval legend as the example of the riches that could be gained from naval service, and Anson would prove to be an incredibly important figure as First Lord of the Admiralty. 

In March 2024, the Museum received a representative sample of artefacts from HMS Erebus. The collection from this iconic ship includes stunning artefacts such as the ship’s bell and a section of the ship’s wheel, personal items such as the plates from a dinner service, scientific instruments relating to the expedition and naval uniform and stores providing a reminder that this was a Royal Navy ship and crew. 

The collection represents one of the most famous events in the history of Arctic exploration and a centuries-long mystery surrounding the fate of the Sir John Franklin expedition. The objects have returned to the UK for the first time since leaving on that fateful voyage, completing a 3,500 mile-journey from Canada to Portsmouth in a highly important milestone in the partnership between Parks Canada and The National Museum of the Royal Navy.

These hockey sticks, made of willow were used on board HMS Caroline. They would have been used by the officers on the upper deck with a puck that floated made of bamboo. When HMS Caroline was in Belfast as a Commissioned ship ‘Deck Hockey’ was played in the drill hall after Trafalgar Night Dinner. Don’t forget you can book to visit HMS Caroline – which is celebrating 100 years in Belfast – online here:

Watercolour by W L Wyllie depicting the submarine HMS H22 surfaced out at sea possibly with the Eddystone Lighthouse in the distance.  Dated 1923. 

HMS H22 was an H-class submarine, launched in 1917 and sold in 1929 to be broken up. The H-class were based on the United States Holland 602 type submarines for coastal defence. The H21 class was built as part of the 1917 Emergency War Programme, in response to the German boats which mined British waters and sank British shipping with ease. 

The H-class were the first class of submarine to have 4 torpedo tubes fitted at the bow end. Although they saw little impact during the war, the H-class was such a successful design that over 70 were ordered for Britain, Chile, Canada, Italy and Russia. The longest serving H-boat was in Chile, which was scrapped in 1956. Nine British H boats saw service in the Second World War.

On 4 June 1941, HMS Marsdale sighted the SS Gedania. Believing her to be neutral, they attempted to stop the ship but the Gedania refused. The crew of the Gedania set scuttling charges and abandoned ship. A boarding party from the Marsdale led by Lieutenant McGuiness found the crew and instructed the ship’s Captain to board, but three explosions were heard inside the ship. The boarding party managed to plug a hole below the waterline, but due to fears of further scuttling charges they took any documents around such as codebooks and this sextant and returned to the Marsdale. 

The codebooks were sent to Bletchley Park and assisted with the breaking of the Enigma codes. The crew of the Gedania spent the rest of the war as Prisoners of War.