HERALDRY IN THE ROYAL NAVY Crests and Badges of H.M. Ships

Sample entry: H.M.S. Colossus
Badge Illustration: Unofficial Badge. A shield on which is placed a Maltese Cross. Four Animals are also shown but the original sketch does not give clear details and they are most likely lions and unicorns, badge derived from the Knights of St. John.
Badge Illustration: Official Badge. Field: Blue. Badge: A giant’s head affronte couped at the shoulders white, with his head rayonne gold. Motto: This Badge was taken from the Colossus of Rhodes, a giant bronze figure of Apollo, 120 feet high, which was placed astride the harbour of Rhodes. This was one of the seven wonders of the world, but was destroyed in 224 B.C. by an earthquake. A long time afterwards it was sold to a Jew for old metal.
Battle Honours: Groix Island 1795 June 23rd. St. Vincent 1797 February 17th. Trafalgar 1805 October 21st. Baltic 1855. Jutland 1916 May 31st.
This ship was a battleship of 20,500 tons and their main armament was composed of ten 12-inch and twelve 4-inch guns, and she had a speed of 12 knots. She was launched at Scott’s Shipbuilding and Engineering Company at Greenock on 9th of April 1910. From 191 she served in various squadrons and in 1916 she was at the Battle of Jutland, where she led the 5th Division of the Battle Fleet. In this battle she was hit twice, but fortunately without no serious damage. In 1921 she became a boy’s training ship and in 1928 she was sold. The last vessel to bear the name “Colossus” was launched as a light fleet carrier giving her name to the class. She was turned over to the French Navy and became the “Arromanches”.