At first I would like to clarify and put things into perspective. The focus of this essay is not the main bell of the Emden. The ships main bell is on display (heavily damaged from its last battle) in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra (see photo #5) and has its own fascinating story which I found worth adding a separate chapter for on this webpage.

The bell from Nenthead is a much smaller bell (see photo #3) and it was presumably part of the communication system on the ship most likely being in a mess or another prominent place on the ship. Together with the brass plaque the bell is now resting at John Elliott's home in Leeds who is the grandson of Temperly Elliott and my brother in law. 

On photo #2 which was taken in 1941 you can see the bell in the right top corner and the brass plaque explaining its origin (see photo #4) slightly above it. The pub is “The Crown” in Overwater - Nenthead with Temperley Elliott the owner of the pub behind the Bar.

Like the inscription says it was given to Temperly by a Captain West (who remains the main mystery of this story). Photo #6 is an extract of Richard Elliott's book "Pennine Boy" giving the background of the Bell . Richard Elliott is the son of Temperly and my wife's father.

John Glendinning a cousin of my wife who I met during our holiday in Alston this year has revived my interest in the Bell and he even found a newspaper article mentioning the Bell (photo #7). It is only a very short note in the Newcastle Journal from November 2nd 1936 and there is no real reason given why it is mentioned under "North Country Notes" but it shows how in 1936 the memory of the Emden was still present in England. 

Attached to the bell´s bottom loop you can very vaguely make out a rope on the Pub photo which has been replaced by the leather strap (see current photo #3) which is most likely part of a horse's harness. According to Mansell Elliott when you pulled the rope and let go of the rope the bell rang when the rope was going back up. I therefore think on the ship the bell was operated by some wires that were centrally steered for communication.

There are however mistakes on the brass plate. The cruiser was sunk in 1914 and not 1917 and it was the Australian HMAS Sydney. This only adds to the mystery of Captain West. Surely if he had been involved in the sinking of the ship theses mistakes would have not appeared on the brass plaque.

How did a bell from a German cruiser end up in a small Pub in Nenthead? I hope I did wet your appetite for more information. 

I decided to include all the information I have gathered in the various chapters of this webpage. Hope you enjoy it.