HMS IRON DUKE, SOUVENIR TEAK PAPER KNIFE, 5.5 inch (135mm) blade, integral handle, the handle with gilt plaque affixed bearing the inscription "TEAK OF H.M.S. IRON DUKE, ADMIRAL JELLICOE'S FLAGSHIP JUTLAND 1916". 10 inches (250mm) long overall approx. Good condition.
Launched in 1912, HMS Iron Duke was commissioned into the home fleet in March 1914 as the fleet flagship and served as flagship of the Grand Fleet during the First World War, including the Battle of Jutland. During the Second World War she was moored in Scapa Flow as a harbour defence ship, where she was badly damaged by German bombers and run aground to avoid sinking. She continued to serve as an anti-aircraft platform for the duration of the war and was eventually sold for scrap and broken up in the late 1940s.
