The Clock That Marked the Watches: A 1944 Chelsea Ship's Bell Clock

There is a sound that means "ship" the way no other sound does. Not the foghorn, not the gull — the bell. For centuries, a ship's bell marked time in four-hour watches, eight bells for the changing of the guard at 4, 8, and 12. This week's piece carries that sound in its bones.

It's an authentic World War II ship's bell clock, built in 1944 by the Chelsea Clock Company of Boston for the Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. of Chester, Pennsylvania — ordered at the very height of America's wartime shipbuilding surge. The matching serial numbers, 451054, date it precisely to that year.

Look closely, and the war is written into the materials. The case is zinc, not brass — brass was going to the war effort, so military clocks got the standard wartime zinc case. The bezel is Bakelite. The 6-inch silvered brass dial carries bold Arabic numerals swept by classic blued steel hands, with the fast/slow adjustment just below the 12. The hinged bezel opens on the left with a thumbscrew lock, and three bulkhead mounting holes on the back flange tell you exactly where this clock lived: bolted to a bulkhead, keeping a ship's time. It measures 7 inches across, 3½ inches deep, and weighs a hefty 7.7 pounds. It comes with its winding key.

A WWII Chelsea ship's bell clock
from the Francis J. Trainor Maritime Collection.

The condition report is an honest one, the way we like them: the clock runs and keeps perfect time. The bell strike wants adjusting to ring properly — and there's a small piece of paper attached to the back noting the last service date: August 2001. Twenty-five years ago, someone cared for this clock. Now it's waiting for its next caretaker.

Here's why it belongs in a coastal home: a ship's bell clock is the rare object that is both instrument and sculpture. Hang it in the entryway and it greets you with purpose. Put it on the mantel or the study wall and the whole room steadies around it. Guests will ask about it. You'll have a story — a real one, with a serial number and a shipyard and a war in it.

From the Francis J. Trainor Maritime Collection

One of one, as always: when it's gone, it's gone.

WWII Chelsea Ship's Bell Clock — $925.00. See it here: Chelsea Clock

Visit us at our skipjack showroom — 1172 State Route 32, Round Pond, Maine. 

(207) 219-0897.

Seasonal showroom hours through the end of October: 

Thu–Sat 11–4, Sun 1–4, Mon 11–4; open year-round by appointment.  The webstore never closes. 

Spectacular Battleship Size 48-Star American Flag

Massive 48 star US ensign laid out in front of Skipjack Nautical Wares.

It's a wonder what one might find digging around at local antiques and flea markets. And that is what we encountered this last Saturday at the Olde Towne Antiques to Flea Market here in Portsmouth, Virginia. Held the first Saturday of each month, the Olde Towne Portsmouth event is always full of interesting items, from the typical yard sale flea type finds to the most unexpected treasures. Last year, I discovered and purchased a Philadelphia windsor bowback side chair, branded with the name of the maker, John Letchworth (1759-1843). His shop was located on Third Street between Chestnut and Walnut (1784) and he actually made chairs for Thomas Jefferson and used at Monticello. More on this in a later blog.

A view above the flag. Magnificent!

This time we discovered an extremely large pile of wool bunting stuck in the corner of the vendors booth that appeared to be the colors and design of an American flag. Upon closer inspection, we knew it was more than that, it was a major find. I asked the owner what he knew about it. He responded by saying that they had just purchased it and it came out of a house accross the river in Norfolk, VA. The flag had been stored away for longer than the previous owner could remember, but recounted that it once was flown above a battleship during WWII. Unfortuately, he did not know the battleships name. This is not unusual. Other accounts of battleships decommissioned and deaccessed flags were sometimes removed in order to maintain secrecy.

I continued and asked him how large was the flag and the condition....obviously way to big to unfold and inspect in it's current location. He responded, "Well, it's about 20 feet by 30 feet or thereabouts and is definitely worn. To big for anyone to hang on their walls".
After not much consideration, Alison paid them for it and I hauled it out to our car. Damn heavy; that's a lot of flag to carry and a lot of history too!

Alison measures the  height of the flag.

Later that day, with the help of a few of our friends, we unmatted the pile of flag and stretch her out in front of our store. We reviewed the condition of our find- yes, definitely some rips and tears, typical of the damage inflicted on a ships flag due to weather and/or battle conditions. We found the flag makers tag sewn on to the heavy canvas heading. The tag stated:  "HIGH GRADE, REG. U.S. PAT. OFF., BUNTING, -ALL WOOL-, THE BEST SINCE 1847'. This was the label used on U.S. government and military flags made by Annin & Company, New York, a major producer of high quality flags and the maker of this one as well. The massive 48-Star US national ensign flag, measured  20' x 38' in size and according to the presidents standardized sizing for flags created in 1912, this is flag size #1, the largest of US ensigns produced. Annin & Co. named this size flag "ABRUS".

The sewn on tag by Annin & Co., New York.

Folding up the flag for safe storage.

A 1926 advertisement fot Annin & Co., New York.

USS Iowa commissioning ceremony. The flag is similar to the one in this blog.

This flag was a great discovery and I would rank it up there with some of our greatest we've uncovered to date. Not so much as a valuable item, monetarily wise, but such a major symbol of our nation, potentially flown during major naval battles and rising above all others as the symbol of freedom that so many have laid down their lives defending it. Semper Fi!

Here is the link on Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Galleries page on our webstore. We will also consider donating it to the right foundation or museum if the right opportunity arrives.  We have also included here a link to the Zaricor flag collection, a national treasure presentation of American ensigns, jacks, flags  & pennants.

U.S. Navy Binnacle & Engine Order Telegraph From the Liberty Ship "JOSEPH PULITZER"

U.S. Navy Binnacle & Engine Order Telegraph from the bridge of the Liberty Ship "JOSEPH PULITZER"

In 1973, the Liberty Ship SS "JOSEPH PULITZER" was under tow, transferred from the James River to a salvage yard near Cape Henry, Virginia.  A survivor of WWII, the "JOSEPH PULITZER" was one of 200 Liberty ships that on  June 6, 1944 took part in the D-Day landings. Today, only a few parts and pieces of the ship survive to tell the story. The ship's binnacle compass and engine order telegraph from the bridge were removed from the ship before salvage and are now on display at Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Gallery in Portsmouth, Virginia.

From the previous owner- "The telegraph and binnacle were a gift from the captain of the Polish salvage tug that towed the liberty ship "JOSEPH PULITZER" (the vessel from which they came) to the salvage yard in 1973. Her hull number was #0644, her keel was laid August 1942 and she was delivered in September 1942. She was active throughout the war in Europe and was laid up in the James River idle fleet after decommissioning at the end of WWII. I was the pilot that piloted the salvage tug towing the Joseph Pulitzer from the ghost fleet in the James River to Cape Henry, Virginia in 1973. Captain L.D. Amory III"

A typical Liberty ship crosses the ocean carrying cargo to a foreign destination. Photo from the Library of Congress.

As published in the book "THE LIBERTY SHIPS from A (A.B. Hammond) to Z (Zona Gale)" written by Capt. Walter W. Jaffee, the Liberty ships were the backbone of the Allied supply lines in World War II. Millions of tons of war material were needed on battlefronts around the world. The full might of U.S. industrial power was brought to bear and, “built by the mile and chopped off by the yard,” 2,710 Libertys sailed out of American shipyards to deliver the goods. From Murmansk to the great D-Day invasion; in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of war; from Iwo Jima and the Leyte landings to the invasion of Okinawa, Libertys were the “bridge of ships” that helped the Allies win the war. Only two operational Liberty ships, the SS John W. Brown and the SS Jeremiah O'Brien, remain. 

Merchant Marine Heroes: Meritorious Service Medals Awarded "for Conduct or Service of a Meritorious Nature" during World War II

Bramble, Walter W. [H]  Able Seaman, SS Joseph Pulitzer 

In 1943, the SS Joseph Pulitzer, in which Bramble (then able seaman) was serving, transported troops, vehicles and Army supplies from a North African base to Gela, Sicily. This vessel, and others in the convoy, were subjected to many strafing and bombing attacks by enemy planes and also to bombardments from shore based artillery. During one of these attacks fragments from an anti-personnel bomb wounded all eight of the crew of the after three-inch gun, some so seriously that it was necessary to transfer them to a naval vessel for treatment. In this emergency, Bramble, who had some previous gunnery experience, volunteered and received permission to form a new gun crew composed of merchant seamen and Army personnel. For four days and nights this amateur crew performed valiant service in driving off enemy planes. It was credited with one plane shot down. Bramble's fine spirit, leadership and skill contributed materially to the safety of the ship and were in keeping with the high standards of the United States Mrchant Marine. [Bramble was from Baltimore, MD] Sep. 12, 1946.  http://www.usmm.org/msm.html

Also noted:

A couple of hours after the Robert Rowan sank, four German planes attacked with fragmentation bombs, one of which wounded eight men inthe Joseph Pulitzer's 3-inch gun crew. The Pulitzer had a former Navy gun pointer in her civilian crew, so Captain Kingdon S. Thomas made him gun captain of a merchant seaman gun crew which "did some fine shooting." The new gun crew was drenched by water that night when raiding dive-bombers gave them some near misses. The third mate merely ended the log for the 8-to-12 watch with, "Army stevedores discharging cargo between bombs, bullets and barges." Walter Bramble.

Follow the link U.S. Navy Binnacle & Engine Order Telegraph From the Liberty Ship "JOSEPH PULITZER" for a complete description and images of these exceptional surviving instruments.