Princess Royal Fortress Military Museum > Records

German Brass Match Box Holder with “GOTT MITT UNS” Belt Buckle

« Prev Item Next Item »

1914 - 1918

Overview

A matchbox cover made from thin brass sheet metal, folded to form three sides. There is a raised design on the front created from a belt buckle disc, a raised line design on the side and engraving on the back. There is considerable discoloration of the metal around the site of the buckle disc and the brass sheet has a number of dents over its surface. The buckle is positioned vertically in the centre of the front of the matchbox slightly off-centre. The back of the matchbox is engraved with the name of its Australian owner. The third side of the match box has five raised parallel lines - two at each end and one in the centre.

Historical information

The matchbox is engraved with the name of Naval midshipman Roy Parsons. When war broke out in 1914 Roy joined the Royal Australian Navy whilst in Albany on board the HMAS Pioneer; a Pelorus Class Light Cruiser. When war with Germany was declared on 4 August 1914, Pioneer was at Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne. The following day she sailed for Fremantle to operate on patrol on the Western Australian coast. Operations began on 16 August, and on that day, some eight miles west of Rottnest Island, Pioneer captured the German steamer Neumunster (4424-tons) and took her into Fremantle. On 26 August she captured a second ship, the 4994-ton Norddeutcher-Lloyd vessel Thuringen, also off Rottnest Island. Neumunster was taken over by the Commonwealth Government as a prize of war and renamed Cooee. Thuringen was renamed Moora and handed over to the Indian Government for service as a troopship.
The matchbox includes part of a German belt buckle with the inscription “GOTT MIT UNS”. During the First World War “Gott Mit Uns” was the rallying cry of the German military. Featured on military gear like belt buckles, displayed in town centres, printed on stationary postcards and inspiring countless war poems and songs, it reflected deeply held beliefs by German leadership and the hopes of the German people.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-12-2017.29.6

Item type

Metalwork

Themes

Defence > Navy
War and Conflict > World War 1

Material

Brass

Width

42 mm

Height or length

62 mm

Depth

19 mm

Weight

19 g

Inscriptions and markings

The front of the matchbox displays the circular disc from a German belt buckle with the words “GOTT MITT UNS” (God With Us) in a clockwise circular design. Completing the circle is wreath pattern. Within the circle design is a relief of the Royal Prussian crown. The outside edge of the round disc has a rope-like design. On the rear of the matchbox is engraved “R Parsons”.

Keywords

WW1

Royal Australian Navy

HMAS Pioneer

Fremantle -- Western Australia

Year

1914 - 1918

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance

Comparative significance criteria

Interpretive capacity

Google Maps search term / URL