Willow & Military!

At first glance when I found this piece online I thought it was just another ordinary butter dish. Much like my others it has a small Staffordshire butter pat in the center and a wooden surround. Upon close examination, I looked at the brass plate attached at the bottom.

I will be the first to tell you, I simply love history, so I didn’t think twice about clicking By It Now on Ebay! Turns out the wooden surround was made from the HMS Iron Duke, the Admiral Jellicoe’s Flagship, which was commissioned in Jutland in 1916. I of course had to research the ship itself! The following page is a wealth of information on this particular ship!

Meet Iron Duke: The Royal Navy’s Flagship Super Dreadnought Battleship | The National Interest

In late May 1916, Iron Duke served as Jellicoe’s flagship at the Battle of Jutland. At the head of the British line, it inflicted serious damage on the German battleship SMS Konig, as well as several smaller ships. The German prey escaped in the night, however, and Iron Duke returned to Scapa Flow as the Navy became mired in controversy. The failure to destroy the High Seas Fleet, despite obvious British advantages, took a severe toll on public and elite impressions of Admiral Jellicoe. Jellicoe was eventually “promoted” out of the command of the Grand Fleet, and replaced by David Beatty. The crew of Iron Duke didn’t care for the new admiral, so Beatty moved his flag to Queen Elizabeth. The rest of Iron Duke’s World War I career was uneventful. Reference the page above for additional info.

I thought it was so neat to have a piece of history and to also have it adorn the willow pattern! Very interesting.

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I guess I love history because my father was 60 when I was born. He served in WWII on the front lines in the Army and also later in the Korean Conflict. Unfortunately he lost both brothers in battle. My dad talked about the hardships and struggles he faced serving. He left the graphic details to stories he told my older brother in law. Unfortunately his service brought PTSD and the inability to only have one drink….alcoholism. He was a wonderful man but back 30+ years ago the resources were just not there for these men and women.

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Despite his struggles he was a good man. He loved his family and would have done anything for them. He was the type of person to give the shirt off of his back.

My grandfather was a cook in the military (army) and served in WWI. It was during my grandfather’s service that he met a pilot in the Airforce named Kiffin Rockwell. He was a very good friend to my grandfather during his active duty and later when my grandparent had children they would name my father after him. Kiffin Rockwell McDaniel. I always loved my father’s name, and where it came from!

In any case, I suppose that was a trip down memory lane for me! Regardless I love my little dish and will continue to cherish it.

Oh and lastly…I became a NANA yesterday to a healthy baby boy. I am super excited to meet the little guy. Hopefully next week. I will keep you posted.

Happy willowing!

Christine.