Fabulous Mahogany Cased WW2 Royal Navy HMS Adventure Ships Clock (d.1929-31)

HMS Adventure (M23), was an Adventure-class minelaying cruiser of the RN, commissioned in 1926. Her commander between 1928 and 1929 was the future First Sea Lord John H. D. Cunningham and she was the 1st vessel built for service as a minelayer, she was also the first warship to use diesel engines, which were used for cruising.

She initially joined the Atlantic Fleet but in 1931 she went into refit to change her stern from square to round, once completed she joined the China Station.

On the outbreak of WW2, Adventure, together with the coastal minelayer Plover and the converted train ferries Shepperton and Hampton, escorted by the cruiser Cairo and the destroyers of the 19th Destroyer Flotilla, laid 3119 defensive mines in the Straits of Dover, sealing the east end of the Channel from penetration by German submarines. Following the completion of this operation, Adventure was deployed in laying mines off the Yorkshire coast

On 13 November 1939, Adventure was badly damaged near the Tongue Light Vessel, in the Thames Estuary by an underwater explosion killing 23 of her crew. The bridge was wrecked and crew and fittings were thrown against bulkheads and down hatchways with lethal effect. She was towed into Chatham, repaired and back in service by 1940. After repairs in 1941, after hitting another mine near Liverpool, Adventure took part in a decoy operation (Operation ES) to cover the passage of convoy PQ 17. Her captain from 1940–42 was Norman Vere Grace and in the winter of 1942/43 she made several fast re-supply missions to Gibraltar and the Mediterranean.

In April 1943 Adventure was involved in an operation to catch blockade runner Irene, which was intercepted and sunk off the coast of Spain. In November she was taken in for conversion as a tender and repair ship for landing craft. In her four years of service as a mine-layer Adventure undertook some 20 mining operations, laying minefields throughout the Western Approaches and the North Sea.

During the Normandy landings in 1944 Adventure was deployed off Mulberry B as a support and repair vessel; she landed repair parties on 19 June for extensive salvage work on damaged landing craft.

After a busy service career, she was reduced to reserve in 1945 before being sold for scrap in 1947.

The clock is in good working order with the odd imperfection and minor repair commensurate with its age. It’s fitted with an English 8 day mechanism with a platform escapement and the clockface has some minor wear from winding, which is protected by a brass framed glazed door that locks in place by a brass catch. Overall it measures 32cm x 21cm x 8cm and has two brass plates to the front with the ships name and date 1929-31, which ties the clock nicely in with the Sea Lord Cunningham connection & means this was probably removed prior to its major refit in ‘31’

Fantastic find……

£595

Local delivery, U.K & International shipping available with collections welcome too

Thanks for viewing.