On December the 15th 1909 the Lutine bell was struck twice at Lloyds of London to indicate that the ss Waratah was lost with all hands. Here in Australia we will give thought to the ship on Friday the 15th of December 108 years after her loss. The bell is struck once to indicate that the ship is home at a port safe and well, and twice with a pause of 41seconds between the first stroke and the second stroke to indicate a lost ship, details of the ship are then read out,
ss WARATAH lost off South Africa with 211 souls on the 27/28th of July 1909.
The LUTINE bell being rung.
The history of the LUTINE bell dates back to the end of the eighteenth century when the bell was cast in France for the 32 gun Frigate LA LUTINE. Eventually the Frigate became the property of the Royal Navy. Early on the morning of, October,9th,1799 the LUTINE set sail from Yarmouth Roads with a large amount of specie on board, estimated in that period at 1.4 million in sterling, it was the property of London merchants who were trading with Germany. The LUTINE encountered a fierce storm off Vlieland at the entrance to the Zayder Zee, all hands were lost. For years afterward many attempts were made to salvage the precious cargo. In 1858 an expedition recovered the bell and part of the rudder, together with some coins, and the bell found its way to the committee room at Lloyds.
Lloyds had to pay out in full the insurance value of the specie and did so within three weeks after the loss of the ship, the LUTINE bell then became a symbol of Lloyds reliability as insurers.
A befitting memorial to British Naval history.
This article is a tribute to those who perished with Waratah, you will never be forgotten.
The history of the LUTINE bell dates back to the end of the eighteenth century when the bell was cast in France for the 32 gun Frigate LA LUTINE. Eventually the Frigate became the property of the Royal Navy. Early on the morning of, October,9th,1799 the LUTINE set sail from Yarmouth Roads with a large amount of specie on board, estimated in that period at 1.4 million in sterling, it was the property of London merchants who were trading with Germany. The LUTINE encountered a fierce storm off Vlieland at the entrance to the Zayder Zee, all hands were lost. For years afterward many attempts were made to salvage the precious cargo. In 1858 an expedition recovered the bell and part of the rudder, together with some coins, and the bell found its way to the committee room at Lloyds.
Lloyds had to pay out in full the insurance value of the specie and did so within three weeks after the loss of the ship, the LUTINE bell then became a symbol of Lloyds reliability as insurers.
This article is a tribute to those who perished with Waratah, you will never be forgotten.
