WWII BRITISH NAVY SHIP'S PHONE

A ship's phone would have been standard equipment for the British Royal Navy's warship's in WWII, enabling ship-wide communications. This type of electrically powered telephone represented a technological leap forward compared to the earlier generation of ship's phones, which were voice powered.

Identifying marks on the phone's cast alloy housing show that it's a "MK XII HJM" design, patented in 1939, however the identity of "HJM" is unknown at this time, so further research is required. One thing is certain though, i.e. the manufacturer of the handset, and probably all the other internal electrical components, was Great Britain's Telephone Manufacturing Company (TMC), which was made a public company in 1920.

The phone's cast alloy housing has been meticulously restored, with the battleship grey exterior showing almost no signs of use. The thick brass circular speaker grill and the novel, gravity operated, top-cover latch-mechanism are both highly polished, and possibly lacquered. Appearance wise, it appears to be in completely original condition, and although the condition of the electrics is unknown, it is quite possible that the hand-cranked magneto that produces the alternating current for signalling, i.e to ring the bells of other telephones on the same line, may still function.

Given its rarity, and the extent to which this telephone has been restored, it has got to be a must have piece for any collector of WWII ship's communication equipment.