H.M.S. Bulwark was a large 15,000 ton battle cruiser launched at Devonport Dockyard in 1899. When War was declared in August 1914, Bulwark, which by now was nearly obsolete, was serving in the Medway. On the 26th November, during a festive day with the ship's band playing on deck, Bulwark was consumed by a catastrophic explosion which sank her instantly with the loss of almost 800 lives. No enquiry has ever satisfactorily explained the disaster and eventually part of the wreck was removed as it was an obstruction to shipping, leaving only speculation that somehow, her magazine had ignited dur to careless handling of black powde

The badge offered in this lot was recovered from the bridge superstructure and is one of only two examples known. Ship's Badges were not formalised until after the Great War in 1919, mainly as a replacement for the defunct figurehead. Pre-Great War examples are rare and after the War, the Bulwark badge changed to the current design of a crown pierced by a sword.