Historic bell recovered by British divers from sunken wreck returned to US Navy
An American ship's bell recovered from the seabed by the MOD's specialists in marine operations has been returned to the United States Navy.
Defence Equipment & Support's Salvage and Marine Operations (Salmo) team retrieved the bell from the depths of the ocean 40 miles south of the Scilly Isles, 107 years after the ship went down, costing the lives of 64 men.
The bell belonged to USS Jacob Jones, which was torpedoed by the Imperial German Navy submarine U-53, becoming the first destroyer in US history to be lost to enemy action.
Admiral James W Kilby, the US Navy's Vice Chief of Naval Operations, received the bell in a handover ceremony at Lancaster House in London.
Andy Liddell, the head of Salmo, said: "Playing a pivotal role in returning this historic bell to US soil is something we can all be proud of and is yet another example of the special relationship between our two nations.
"While this is a momentous occasion, this handover ceremony is also a poignant reminder of the brave allies who defended our nation and, importantly, those who lost their lives in doing so."
In August 2022, a recreational dive team discovered the wreck approximately 100m below the surface.
Last December, the US Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) – guardians of nearly 3,000 shipwrecks – asked the UK to preserve the sanctity of the wreck and recover its bell.
The bell was recovered during the commissioning trials of a state-of-the-art, remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) that was built in Yorkshire.
The new ROV allowed the Salmo team to safely recover the symbolic item and, after placing a wreath and US flag in memory of those on board who were lost, they set the wheels in motion for the bell's journey home.
The bell, which was recovered with support from the NHHC and initially stabilised following recovery by Wessex Archaeology, has now arrived at the Washington Navy Yard where it will be conserved by archaeological conservators at NHHC's Conservation, Research and Archaeology Laboratory.
Adm Kilby 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."
USS Jacob Jones (DD 61) sunk eight minutes after being struck by the torpedo. Seven officers and 103 men were on board at the time of the attack.
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