{"product_id":"wwii-royal-navy-classified-sink-on-capture-weighted-dispatch-bag","title":"WWII Royal Navy \"Sink-on-Capture\" Weighted Mail \u0026 Dispatch Bag","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 15pt;\"\u003eThis item is an \u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 15pt;\"\u003eauthentic World War II Royal Navy Perforated Canvas Dispatch Bag.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 15pt;\"\u003eThis heavy-duty, off-white cotton canvas bag was a critical tool in the Royal Navy's strict communication security and postal protocols. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 15pt;\"\u003eThe front is stencilled in block lettering across the centre reading: \u003cstrong\u003e\"TO BE RETURNED TO HM MAILS ADMIRALTY\"\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 15pt;\"\u003eThe inclusion of \"HM Mails\" (His Majesty's Mails) denotes its dual status as an official sovereign postal carrier and a secure military asset. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 15pt;\"\u003eBags of this exact configuration were utilised aboard naval vessels, reconnaissance aircraft, and contracted Royal Mail Ships (RMS) to securely transport highly classified naval correspondence, fleet records, and daily changing cipher materials between shore command stations, overseas stations, and ships at sea. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 15pt;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Comic Sans MS;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 20px;\"\u003eFitted with a precise grid of reinforced brass eyelets\/grommets. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Comic Sans MS;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 20px;\"\u003eThis deliberate design allowed seawater to instantly flood the bag upon submersion, rapidly displacing trapped air pockets to neutralise the natural buoyancy of the paper inside. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Comic Sans MS;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 20px;\"\u003eIn the event of a sudden ambush, boarding action, or ship abandonment, the crew would pack the base of the bag with heavy lead weights or iron bars and cast it into deep water. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Comic Sans MS;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 20px;\"\u003eThis guaranteed the documents plunged straight to the seabed, preventing vital codebooks from falling into enemy hands. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Comic Sans MS;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 20px;\"\u003eSize approx: 83cm x 51cm \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Comic Sans MS;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 20px;\"\u003eThis\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 15pt;\"\u003e big is in an overall good condition with\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 20px;\"\u003e some discolouration\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 15pt;\"\u003e and staining in places.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Comic Sans MS;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 15pt;\"\u003eThe canvas remains strong and structurally sound with no major rips or dry rot.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Comic Sans MS;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 15pt;\"\u003eAll brass eyelets and the closure stud are intact, displaying a natural aged oxidation and verdigris.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Comic Sans MS;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 15pt;\"\u003eThe black \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 20px;\"\u003estencilled\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 15pt;\"\u003e Admiralty text has faded but is still legible.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 15.0pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; color: black; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 15.0pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; color: black; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"\u003eThe photographs are of the actual item and form part of the description. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 15.0pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; color: black; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 15.0pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; color: black; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"\u003ePlease examine the photographs carefully and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!----\u003e","brand":"Haywards Antiques \u0026 Collectables","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57276775760137,"sku":null,"price":65.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0736\/5437\/0569\/files\/IMG_6837-Photoroom.png?v=1787665346","url":"https:\/\/haywardsantiques.co.uk\/products\/wwii-royal-navy-classified-sink-on-capture-weighted-dispatch-bag","provider":"Haywards Antiques \u0026 Collectables","version":"1.0","type":"link"}