Help Identifying an Artefact No. 2

[BAJR]

We need your help to solve a puzzling mystery! Can you help us identify this thingamajig?! It’s an object that was found in a box in the RNLI Henry Blogg Museum in Cromer, Norfolk. It measures 13.5cm x 17.5cm x 13.5 cm.

A label stated that a diver salvaged it from the wreck of the SS Teddington, a steamer which was sunk off the Norfolk coast following an attack by German aircraft in September 1941, during the Second World War. But we don’t know what it is!

Do you have any ideas? We’d be very grateful indeed….


[additional note from Andy Hollinrake:

Not sure about SS Teddington being sunk, however. Best check the diver's story, if he got this from a wreck, might not have been Teddington.
Found this:
"German motor torpedo boats S.50, S.51, and S.52 of the 4th Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla attacked a Convoy off Cromer.
British steamer TEDDINGTON (4762grt) was badly damaged in 54-03N, 1-35E.
The steamer was taken in tow, but went ashore on the 18th two and three quarters miles east, southeast of Cromer Pier. The entire crew were rescued."



So here it is:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1213[/ATTACH]

[CARTOON REALITY]

It's an armoured plated marine tea caddy with basal 'wings' to bolt it to the galley shelf so it doesn't fall over in turbulent seas. Lid is obviously missing.
Clear proof of how expensive tea was during the war.

Just a hunch.

[Digger]

Whats the hole diameter? looks like a foot to hold an upright post for a hand rail. Three screws to hold down to a wooden surface (deck?), though if you loosen two it would be removable.

[Dinosaur]

At a much smaller scale, the steppy conical effect is very like a load of old hose fittings we used to use, you jammed the rubber hose on as many steps as you could then did up the jubilee clip

[CARTOON REALITY]

Funny you should say hose Dino i think it is a clamp for one (or a pipe) but I don't think that the ribbing is correct for holding the hose/pipe over the top of it - I'd say the arrangement is more like this. . .

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1216[/ATTACH]
The length of the clamp takes lateral pressure off the point where the hose/pipe joins to main supply

Again, just a hunch, (I'm going to look stupid when they put it up on facebook and it turns out to be a part of a suitcase.) Still prefer the tea caddy.

[P Prentice]

yep - thats waht i was just about to say

[CARTOON REALITY]

yep - thats waht i was just about to say

That its a clamp or that you prefer the tea caddy?

[P Prentice]

That its a clamp or that you prefer the tea caddy?

only if compliant - i have standards

[Dinosaur]

Actually from that sketch surely its a twist-on attachment, who needs the screws? Just push it up and twist till the lugs engage?

[CARTOON REALITY]

Twist on not possible with direction of gaps on lugs - look at the photo - never mind that poxy sketch.

I'm thinking it is bolted - with the sort of hinged bolt you might see on a porthole or a hatch that swings away once loosened. Not in sketch. That's why there's those gaps.