Timber Block with Compass from The Wreck of The Ibex BM27 Fishing Smack 1896-1918 U-Boat Victim

~ Timber Block with Compass from The Wreck of The Ibex BM27 Fishing Smack 1896-1918 U-Boat Victim ~

This piece, from the Ibex collection is part of an oak rib from the wreck of the Famous Brixham Fishing Ketch ‘BM27 Ibex’, thought to the last sailing one built there.

The timber has been treated, threaded with hemp rope and has been fitted with a compass.

To the front is a brass plaque reading: ‘Timber from the wreck of BM27 Ibex Brixham fishing smack 42 (GRT), Designed by Andrew Upham, Built by JW&A Upham 1896, Sunk by UB55 29^th January 1918’.

Fortunately, no lives were lost.

~ Dimensions ~

The block measures 21cm (8 1/4 inches) by 15cm (6 inches) by 18cm (7 inches).

It weighs 4.84 Kg

~ Condition ~

The piece is in very good order.

~ Ibex BM27 ~

The Ibex, BM27 (Formerly DH416) 50 GRT  was built at Upham’s Wharf, Brixham by J.W. & A. Upham and was launched on the 8th November 1896 ,she was destined to be the fastest ever trawler ever to set sail out of Brixham.

She was skippered by John Henry Widger for 18 years from 1899 and won a total of 29 firsts in 33 races.

During the First World War Ibex encountered the German U Boat U55 on January 29th 1918. The Ibex crew of four men and a boy were instructed to man the lifeboat. Crew from U55 then machine gunned and subsequently Ibex was sent to the bottom, thankfully with no lives lost.

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