A collection of seventeen sailors cap tallies, 20th century

Collected by Patricia, Countess Mountbatten of Burma (1924-2017)

This collection of tallies represent vessels which often played an important part in the naval career of Lord Mountbatten. From the start of his naval service as a teenager there are those from the HMS Lion and HMS Queen Elizabeth. There are others from later vessels, including HMS Wishart. In 1934 Mountbatten took command of this ship, named after an eighteenth-century Admiral, he was to tell the ship’s company 'Our Ship is named after the Almighty to whom we pray daily: “Our father wishart in Heaven”' (Philip Ziegler, Mountbatten, The Official Biography, London, 2991, p.89). Mountbatten was immensely proud of this ship and was determined that under his command, she and her company should become ‘Cock-of-the-Fleet’ at the annual navy regatta: and they did, winning all sorts of competitions, including water-polo and cricket tournaments. Zeigler (op. cit. p. 89) writes that life on the Wishart may have been arduous but it was fun with entertainments too, immensely proud of ship and her company, Mountbatten enjoyed welcoming esteemed guests onboard, who included, the King of Spain, the Prince of Wales and Wallis Simpson, Noel Coward and Norma Shearer.