The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Brass Steering Wheel with wooden spokes from SMS Emden.
SMS Emden was a German cruiser which was launched in 1908. At the start of the First World War, she was a member of the German East Asiatic Squadron. Emden was detached to stalk the shipping routes across the Indian Ocean and quickly became the scourge of the Allied navies. Between August and October 1914, Emden captured or sank 21 vessels. In November 1914, nine Allied vessels were involved in the hunt for Emden; the threat she posed led to a particularly heavy escort of four warships being allocated to the first Australian and New Zealand troop convoy travelling between Western Australia and Egypt. Surprised by one of these escorts, HMAS Sydney, while in the process of destroying the British radio station on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Emden was destroyed in the fight between the two ships on 9 November 1914.
Emden's steering wheel was one of the many relics removed from the beached wreck by the Royal Australian Navy and was retained as a war trophy.
105 mm naval cartridge case. Half the case wall is missing and the headstamps have worn off. This shell was recovered from the surf in the vicinity of the wreck of SMS Emden in 1974. It is of the sa
German black tally band with 'S.M.S. EMDEN' woven in silver. During the First World War the German Imperial navy (Kaiserliche Marine) was divided between seaman and shipyard and technical personnel.
German sailor's dark blue woollen cap. It has a silver embroidered tally with the wording "S.M.S EMDEN" and above is a red, white and black enameled cockade. Inside is brown leatherette sweat band whi
Coat of arms from the bow of SMS Emden. The shield-shaped coat of arms of the City of Emden is manufactured in three sections, two vertical joins being visible. 24 holes approximately 4 cm in diameter
Pair of identical trench art butter knives. The handle of each knife has been fashioned from spent Mauser cartridges taken from the German SMS Emden. Both cartridges are stamped on base '11 07 SS'. Th
Pair of identical trench art butter knives. The handle of each knife has been fashioned from spent Mauser cartridges taken from the German SMS Emden. Both cartridges are stamped on base '11 07 SS'. Th
