Pin badge — 'The Navy Lark' badge, Great Britain, 1959
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1959
Pin badge in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number S. 276-2012), made in Great Britain, dated 1959. The museum's brief description reads: Pin badge for the radio comedy show The Navy Lark, featuring the H.M.S.
Troutbridge emblem. Museum description: Small pin badge, secured by a squeezable circular fastener that fits on the pin. With an image showing a turreted bridge collapsing around a ship. Enamelled in blue, red, white and black. The image is framed within a 'rope' circle, surmounted by a heraldic naval crown. The badge includes the name of the ship, 'Troutbridge', and the catchphrase, 'Ev'rybody Down'. The museum records it as Brass and enamel, measuring Height 2.5 cm; Width 1.7 cm; Depth 0.9 cm.
These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
Pin badge for the BBC radio comedy show The Navy Lark. The Navy Lark was a situation comedy, written by Lawrie Wyman and George Evans and broadcast from 1959 until 1977. It chronicled the misadventures of the crew of the Royal Navy frigate, H.M.S. Troutbridge, and starred Leslie Phillips, Jon Pertwee, Stephen Murray and Ronnie Barker. The name of the ship was based on that of a real naval destroyer, the H.M.S. Troubridge. The name commemorated an 18th-century admiral who fought with Nelson. The badge of the real vessel was based on the Troubridge family arms and featured a three-arched bridge topped by a turret, within a 'rope' circle topped by a heraldic naval crown. The Navy Lark created its own badge for its fictional ship. This is very similar to the Troubridge badge, but shows the Troutbridge crashing through the bridge, which is collapsing around it. The badge also incorporates the catchphrase 'Ev'rybody Down!', usually uttered just before the ship crashed into something.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- brass (alloy), enamel
- Dimensions
- Height 2.5 cm; Width 1.7 cm; Depth 0.9 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Brass and enamel
- Place recorded
- Great Britain
Identification
- Museum object name
- Pin badge
- Museum object number
- S. 276-2012
- Museum system number
- O1245487
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and catalogue references against a specialist reference.