*British, Late WWII, Royal Navy Sweetheart Brooch, HMS Morecambe Bay, Enamelled Crest on Bar*
A fine Royal Navy sweetheart brooch for HMS Morecambe Bay, measuring 4.8cm x 2.8cm. The ship’s crest is beautifully picked out in enamel, showing blue and white wavy lines of the sea with a central red rose of Lancashire, surmounted by a naval crown. Beneath is a scroll in blue enamel reading H.M.S. Morecambe Bay. The crest is mounted to a silver-toned horizontal bar brooch fitting.
Historical Note:
HMS Morecambe Bay (K356) was a Bay-class anti-aircraft frigate, launched in 1943 and commissioned in 1944. Named after Morecambe Bay in Lancashire, her badge appropriately features the red rose of the county. She served with the Royal Navy in the final stages of the Second World War and went on to see extensive action in the Korean War (1950–53), where she provided gunfire support for United Nations forces.
After further service in the Far East and Pacific, Morecambe Bay was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy in 1960, where she was renamed HMAS Moreton Bay. Sweetheart brooches such as this were typically purchased by sailors during wartime and gifted to wives, fiancées, or close family members as symbols of loyalty and affection.
*Condition*
The brooch is in good overall condition, retaining much of its original silvering with light wear and surface marks consistent with age. The enamel remains bright, though with minor signs of age to the crest. The reverse shows some rubbing, with the pin fitting intact and functional. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
