Ship's bell, Southern Railway

Ship's bell, brass, Southern Railway, inscribed "Whippingham", from the Paddle Steamship Whippingham, allocated to the Portsmouth-Ryde service, built by Fairfield Shipping & Engineering Co Ltd, Govan, 1930, withdrawn 1962 and broken up 1963.

Whippingham was present at the Dunkirk evacuation where she lifted 2700 men off the Mole. Heavily overloaded, she set sail for Ramsgate. WhiIst on passage the ship was straddled by shell fire which led to panic among the evacuees, who rushed to the port side of the vessel causing a twenty degree list to the already overladen ship. Disaster was averted by the quick thinking of Chief Mechanician Ford who moved the troops back towards the starboard side. For his actions Ford was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.