Original Item: Only One Available. This is a fine British made pewter hip flask with screw top and cover made by JAMES DIXON & SONS, SHEFFIELD, formerly gun powder flask makers. Of substantial proportions it measures 6.5 x 3.5 and the cover is engraved with an illustration of a German U-BOAT and U55 over:
228 SQ. COASTAL COMMAND, 29th JAN.1940.
There are also some script words scratched onto the body of the flask which is poorly done, but might bear some further research to anyone who can decipher it.
On January 29th, 1940 the German U-Boat “U-55” under the command of Kapitain Werner Heidel was attacked by the British the sloop HMS Fowey, the destroyer HMS Whitshed assisted by a lone SUNDERLAND Flying Boat of the RAF Coastal Command of 228 Squadron. The engagement continued into the following day when finally U55 was sunk by Depth Charges. Amazingly only one of the crew was killed and the remaining 41 survived.
U-55 was launched on October 19th, 1939 and on the maiden tour had sunk six allied ships totaling 15,853 tons. The final action took place about 100 miles off the SW of the Isles of Scilly in the western approaches to the British Channel.
This fine drinking flask, an expression of gratitude to one of the flight crew of the Sunderland Flying Boat to commemorate a WW2 Naval victory, is well marked and a wonderful keepsake of an important allied victory.