The Bell from HMT Aston Villa
The wreck of the trawlers Aston Villa and Gaul lie in the Namsen Fjord, some 100 miles north of Trondheim and approximately 15 miles west of the town of Namsos. Their positions are well documented and on each 16th May, flowers and a navy Royal British Legion poppy wreath are laid on the water above the wreck of the trawlers in memory of the 26 naval service personnel who were killed in action during the Norwegian campaign in the spring of 1940. All 26 personnel were either buried in the fjord or went down with their ship.
The wreck itself has been filmed. The wreck of HMT Aston Villa lies on her starboard side with the hull being in remarkably good condition. Empty ammunition boxes can still be seen around littering the outside of the hull. The propeller has been removed at some point over the last 70 years.
These are images taken on the 17th May in Namsos, Norway. Each year the bell is used at the British memorial to mark the start and finish of the speeches in recognition of those British and allied servicemen who lost their lives in the spring of 1940 whilst protecting Namsos from the advancing German forces. Small craters resulting from bullets can be seen on the second image. The bell is made from cast bronze and was raised from a depth of approximately 150ft in 1951 by private divers but was only gifted to the town of Namsos in the spring of 2001 and then hidden from public view.
In May 2008 it was unveiled by WW2 veterans of the Royal Naval Patrol Service (Alf Baker middle and John Hodge, right; Standard bearer Arthur Young was also there) Midlands branch due to their relationship with Aston Villa F.C. – Doug Ellis is a patron of the RNPS, Midlands branch. The bell from HMT Aston Villa is on the extreme right of the above photograph, slightly obscured by the mayor of Namsos.
The bell and mount weigh about 55 lbs and are cast from bronze. When raised, the bell was covered in barnacles and other marine growth. This was subsequently removed and as can be seen in the picture below, the bell is in very good condition.
The bell from HMT Aston Villa is one of 3 bells on display in Namsos; the other 2 belonging to HMT Gaul and a replica of the bell from HMT Rutlandshire. The Royal Norwegian Navy are currently trying to determine if they can raise the bell from the HMT St Goran which has been filmed at a depth of 1200ft.
With grateful thanks to Forbes Wilson of the Royal Naval Reserve.
