About this piece
back to topA good-quality early 20th century bronze Royal Navy boat badge for the HMS Frobisher (D81), from the collection of the late John Ritchie (1944-2025).
Named after 16th century sea captain, Sir Martin Frobisher, the HMS Frobisher was ordered in 1916 for the First World War as a Hawkins-class heavy cruiser, however wasn’t completed until 1924. Following military expeditions in the Atlantic, Frobisher was converted into a cadet training ship in 1932 before serving in the Second World War. Frobisher was decommissioned and sold for scrap in 1949.
The pentagon-shaped badge displays a black griffin’s head on a neutral backdrop with yellow and blue stripes beneath within a gold border as pictured, this one marked ‘Frobisher’ to the reverse.
‘Frobisher’ is just one of a selection of ship badges we have acquired from John Ritchie’s collection which will make interesting pieces for the modern collector of British naval history.
The John Ritchie Collection
John Ritchie was an eminent figure in the world of maritime antiques for over 40 years. In his lifetime, he served in the Merchant Navy and travelled the globe, developing a passion for maritime collecting and history. In later years, he became proprietor of Books Afloat in Weymouth, a second-hand bookshop dedicated to all things nautical.
