Lot 695

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Description:

U-249 CAPTAIN'S 6-MINUTE DIVE CLOCK - FROM THE FIRST U-BOAT TO SURRENDER AT THE END OF WORLD WAR II
A rare U-boat relic, a six-minute diving timer in the original box, taken from the trunk of U-249 captain Uwe Kock following the vessel's surrender at war's end. The first German U-boat to surrender itself into Allied hands, U-249 was taken by the Royal Navy off Weymouth, Dorset on May 10, 1945. The timer is mint, with a Junghans movement dated 1943 and with the same markings as on the box. The timer is activated by pulling down a red lever, and it remains operable, ringing a chime at the three-minute and six-minute marks. Very fine. The clock is accompanied by copies of documents and photos (the originals accompanying the captain's naval dagger) which were all seized by a British sailor at the time of the ship's surrender. Royal Navy AB Kenneth Rilett was detailed by Capt. N. J. Weir, the the officer overseeing the surrender, to assist in escorting the arrested U-249 crewmen to an internment camp. He then apparently returned to the submarine for salvage duty...and souvenir hunting. At some point in time, Rilett was able to relieve Capt. Kock of his sea chest containing his naval dagger, these pennants, and several other items. Copies of Rilett's orders to attend the vessel's prisoners, his note concerning the dagger, and an Admiralty envelope addressed to Rilett sent by an Admiralty salvage officer in Bath, near Portland, date unknown are included. Interestingly, on March 24, 1945, the vessel was attacked by RAF Mosquitos, with several crew wounded and one fighter shot down. Kock rescued the downed RAF pilot, Lt. Williams, and left him a prisoner in Bergen where he was apparently executed. Kock would also meet an unhappy end, dying in 1965 at the age of 54 from alcoholism. Provenance: R.N. Seaman Kenneth Rilett; The War Museum. A printed color certificate of provenance and historical report with twenty photos of the sub's history, service and surrender will accompany this lot.

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March 18, 2016 10:30 AM EDT
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
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$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000