Bell from WW1 shipwreck handed back to US
The ship's bell was raised from the sea bed earlier in 2024
- Published
A bell recovered from the shipwreck of a World War One US Navy destroyer has been returned to the US.
The USS Jacob Jones was the first US Navy destroyer to be lost to enemy action when it was torpedoed by a German submarine in December 1917.
In August 2022, a recreational dive team discovered the wreck approximately 328ft (about 100m) below the surface, off the Isles of Scilly.
The ship's bell was raised from the sea bed earlier in 2024.
Admiral James Kilby and vice admiral Martin Connell pictured with the bell
Admiral James Kilby, the US Navy’s vice chief of naval operations, received the bell in a ceremony at Lancaster House, London.
He said: "This bell serves as a remembrance of the 64 sailors aboard Jacob Jones who made the ultimate sacrifice defending the freedom of our country and those who challenged it.
"As the first US destroyer lost in combat, her crew’s legacy will live on, their stories will be told and their loss will be remembered as we preserve this piece of our nation’s story.
"Our Navy expresses our sincerest gratitude to those who made it possible to take this incredible artefact of sombre history back home."
Since the shipwreck’s discovery, organisations have continued to fully document and study the wreck site.
The bell is now intended for display in the future National Museum of the US Navy.
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