| Accession Number | REL/21629.007 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Personal Equipment |
| Physical description | Lead, Nickel-plated brass |
| Maker |
Acme City Whistle Co, England J Hudson & Co |
| Place made | United Kingdom: England, West Midlands, Birmingham |
| Date made | c 1914 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Source credit to | This item has been digitised with funding provided by Commonwealth Government. |
General Service whistle : Gunlayer 2nd Class J A Hill, RAN
Description
Nickle plated tube-bodied whistle with integral suspension loop and pair of opposing rectangular windows, fitted with a lead fipple. The words 'The ACME CITY WHISTLE England' are impressed into the upper body.
History / Summary
2212 James Alexander Hill used this whistle during his time in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) from 1912 to 1918.
Hill was born in Gippsland Victoria in 1893. He joined the Navy in September 1912 and was in the commissioning crew of HMAS Sydney. After the start of the First World War in August 1914 Hill was a member of the landing party from Sydney during the attack of German New Guinea in September and October.
Hill was a gunlayer on HMAS Sydney during the Emden engagement on the 9 November 1914. He went ashore the next day on to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and the SMS Emden after the battle. Hill was one of the first to pass out as divers in the RAN in 1917.
After leaving the Navy in 1918, the donor family state that, Hill commenced a diving career that saw service as a diver for the Commonwealth in the Second World War. He recovered items from Sydney Harbour after the Japanese midget submarine attack of 31 May 1942 and worked in the Pacific theatre. He then worked for the Commonwealth in Korea. He died and was buried at sea from HMAS Sydney (Fast Troop Transport) in 1972.
As a gunlayer Kelleway would have used his whistle in action as a aid to communication for fire and control in action.