Location
The Bell is immediately to the left of the door leading into the church from the east side.
Further Information
HMS Zambesi was built by Cammell Laird and commissioned on 18th July 1944. The ship was a Z class destroyer which joined the Home Fleet and alternated Russian convoy escort with Norwegian carrier raids. until May 1945.
The Sørøy evacuation
In February 1945, as flotilla leader, HMS Zambesi led four ships (HMS Zest, HMS Zealous & HMCS Sioux) into a Norwegian fjord in daylight to evacuate the starving population of about five hundred from the Isle of Sørøy. Sørøy lies well above the Arctic Circle, on a latitude only about fifty miles south of that of the North Cape. The evacuation had been prearranged with the islanders most of whom had been living rough in caves after the Germans destroyed their homes and took their food supplies. A Norwegian had been parachuted onto Sørøya to help organise the evacuation. It was a cold clear day in February and at a prearranged signal they came down the snow covered slopes to the shore and were then ferried out to the ships. Most were women and children and they were in very poor condition.
The ship was under the command of Commander Walter Scott RN OBE DSC with bar, who presented the ship's bell to St Cuthbert's Church when the ship was broken up in 1959.
Commander Scott was born and died in Portsmouth (1912-1976). He started a Senior Sea Scout Troop in this parish and was also involved in the London Sailing Project for underprivileged children.
From an information sheet beside the bell
