In 1938 a young Mr A.R. Warren received a beautiful new Sutcliffe Grenville Clockwork Battleship for his 8th Birthday. The Sutcliffe model was named after a real ship HMS Grenville which launched a few years earlier in 1935. With the outbreak of war in September 1939 HMS Grenville was deployed on several missions including  attempts to intercept enemy shipping traffic off the Dutch and German North Sea coasts. It was on the return from one of these missions on the 19 January 1940 that Grenville struck a mine sinking the ship and 77 members of her crew.

 

The news of Grenville's sinking reached A.R. Warren while on holiday at Givendale Hotel in Scarborough. Surviving the war the boat was passed on the Mr Warrens son eventually being packed up on the 6th February 1984 for it's next owner whoever that may be.

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I am pleased to say it's next owner was myself and the boat is now a highlight of my collection.

 

The boat acts as timely reminder of the history these toys have lived through and hopefully the joy they have brought to children and adults for multiple decades in some of the toughest times in history.