EMDEN’S BELL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 116, 19 May 1933, Page 12

EMDEN’S BELL

A SYDNEY MYSTERY. THEFT FROM WAR MUSEUM. SYDNEY, May 4. The theft of that famous war relic, the shell damaged bell of the German cruiser Emden, recovered after the raider had been sunk by H.M.A.S. Sydney, has completely mystified the authorities at the Australian War Museum in Sydney and the police. This is the second occasion on which the bell has been stolen, the first being in August last, when it was mysteriously removed from the naval station at Garden Island. For weeks special police searched for the bell, but without success. Then, in February, it was dug up from the ground in the Domain. It is likely that it had been hidden until a suitable opportunity arrived to smuggle it out of the country. It is one of Australia’s most precious war relics, and the authorities believe that it would be worth a considerable sum of money if it could bo sold in secret abroad. The bell weighs about 1001 b., and as it is about 2ft. high it is an extremely awkward thing to handle. It is therefore presumed that two or three men were engaged in its removal. After the bell had been recovered in February it was taken back to Garden Island, but in order to ensure its safety it was secretly transferred to the War Museum and was bolted to a pedestal there to make its removal more difficult. On Friday the officials discovered that the iron bar that had held it to thc pedestal had been sawn through, and there was great consternation when it was found that the bell was missing. It was last seen on Anzae Day by an attendant, but officials say that, its absence would have been noticed earlier had it been taken before Friday. The conclusion they have come to is that the bell was removed early r.n Friday morning. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. an officer is stationed close to where thc bell stands. lie guards the only exit, and it is certain that he would have seen anyone remove the bo’J in the daylight. The theft must have been cleverly planned, and as none of the doors or windows had been interfered with, the theory held by the police is that two men must have secreted themselves in one of the many corners or hiding r lares of the huge building before it 'dosed. Even this would he difficult because even after the closing hour the whole building is searened. Ar night time the building is patrolled by two watchmen, who work in shifts, and the f.ling of the iron bar which held the 101 l would almost certainly have been heard bv one. of those men, although the noise of passing trams may have dead ened the noise. A significant feature of the theft is that none of~thc other exhibits were touched, and some of them are extremely valuable. The police have not overlooked the possibility of an attempt being made * muggle the bell back to Germany.