Lord Mountbatten's Signalling Lantern

Written by Godfrey Dykes

© RN Communications Branch Museum/Library

  This is a technical drawing made and signed by Lord Louis. It is of a signalling lantern/lamp invention of the 20's/30's (not sure) but certainly pre WW2, which he submitted to the Admiralty but was rejected.

  The framed picture of Lord Louis Mountbatten's detailed drawing of his visual signalling invention drawn on GvR or GviR Graph paper? The MofB was of his choosing when he was created the First Viscount Mountbatten in 1947: later he was promoted to be an Earl. It is of a Signalling Lantern/lamp which he submitted to the Admiralty but was rejected. It is initialled MofB but that could have been added to his original work of pre WW2, post his elevation to the Peerage in 1947, so was the drawing copied from his original work onto King George VI paper or from memory because he invented his Signalling Lamp well before WW2?

  First off the overall dimensions of a polished hardwood frame measuring 24" wide by 16" high in which there are three separate parts of the story, two set in as landscape and one as portrait. See picture above. The frame was originally used in HMS Mercury for many years from the early 1950's and played host to a warning 'WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF ELECTROCUTION' and was sited In the high power transmitter room (600 Series) in Classroom 55 the first Nissan hut as one entered North Camp on the right hand side. The sign was replaced later with a thick Perspex sheet engraved with the same advice, given first aid necessary and the number of the Sick bay at that time in the base of Main House. The frame has a hard backing made of plywood which has to be unscrewed to get access to my exhibits which on this occasions I haven't done, so much of what you see and regrettably rather blurred has been photographed through the rather thick clear Perspex viewing "window".

  Each module has been photographed for detail, starting with the left portrait as shown on the left image below. The handwriting, the printed text and the drawing themselves were all done by Lord Louis. Note the GR on the graph paper.

  The image on the right, below, shows the right hand landscape module showing details of the carbons being projected through the shutters onto the parabolic mirror at the back of the apparatus, which projects the signalling method. Note the heavy all round encasing lines, the left one being the front glass of the projector.

  At the bottom on the handwritten text left of picture you will see a word or a cryptic symbol. It is Lord Louis symbol and says MofB.

  The image below shows the third module bottom right and is rather out of place but after having fitted in the left and top modules I was left with a glaring space to fill, so hence my rather crude comment.

    

  The image below shows the third module bottom right is rather out of place but after having fitted in the left and top modules I was left with a glaring space to fill, so hence my rather crude comment.

  Some of the modules or parts thereof I have amplified as close up’s. Of course, all becomes much clearer when face to face with the presentation.

    

  Background. When Lord Louis first decided he would build a Museum into Broadlands (so named for the sweeping broad land and lawns leading down to the River Test which runs through the 5000 acre estate, once owned by the Victorian Prime Minister Lord Palmerston) he sent certain items in his collection to HMS Mercury to the civilian IDO (Instructional Drawing Office/Officer) to prepare for professional mounting and description tallies. Sometime after Lord Louis death, this drawing was found in Mr Sid Higgs (IDO) by him, pending cupboard. Sid tried on several occasions to my certain knowledge (telecons and letters to Broadlands) then under the wing of his grandson Lord Romsey, to organise a return of exhibits to Broadlands, but no response was ever made to or received in the signal school.

   Lady Patricia Brabourne, Lord Mountbatten’s eldest daughter (his other daughter was Pamela, whose married name was Hicks) lived with her husband Lord Brabourne a famous film producer e.g. “Passage to India,” in Mersham Kent where both of them died. Lord Louis had no sons and Her Majesty deemed it important that the name Mountbatten of Burma should be maintained at all costs, so upon his death his eldest daughter Patricia, by special permission of inheritance (not given to daughters) conferred by Her Majesty, took her mother’s title (Lady Edwina Countess Mountbatten of Burma) who died at the beginning of 1960 and was buried at sea off Portsmouth from the Frigate ‘Wakeful’, and was created Lady Patricia Second Countess Mountbatten of Burma. Meanwhile Lord Romsey, Norton Knatchbull, Lady Patricia’s and Lord Brabourne’s eldest son, the new owner of Broadlands, was created Lord Brabourne on his father’s death September 2005.

  On his mother’s death in June 2017 he became the Third Earl Mountbatten of Burma, a title normally only passed down to sons, and continued at Broadlands with his wife Lady Penelope Third Countess. For some time Broadlands appeared dysfunctional to those who had known its modus operandi well, and could have been the reasons for Broadlands not responding to HMS Mercury’s want of the need to return artefact which once belonged to Lord Louis. Ergo, Sid Higgs, knowing of my lead role in Mountbatten’s Royal Ceremonial funeral offered me this drawing as a keepsake and I framed it as you see, and have had it (owned it) ever since 1981.

  As a post script to this piece of history, that dysfunctional Broadlands bit I have mentioned came to a head when the 3rd Earl, now carrying the most noble and patriotic heredity title imaginable and with Royal connections, that the Queen was so keen to continue, came to nought when Norton Knatchbull, 3rd Earl MofB decided to walk out of Broadland for ever, leaving his wife Penelope in the lurch to run this famous and historically important building dating from Tudor time in its original form, although much modified later on, to live out the rest of his life on an island in the Bahamas (he was born 8th October 1947), guarded against any would-be visitor, a total recluse. What a thoroughly unworthy chap to be called Mountbatten of Burma, a disgrace to the peerage and the memory of one of our greatest modern-day national hero’s.

  Beryl and I reflect upon the day in 1980 when we were invited to Broadlands by the then Lord and Lady Romsey for afternoon tea, as a thank you for the leading part I played in the funeral. Oh how times change and not always for the better! Broadlands today is very different to what it was in the 1980’s when it was opened to visitors as a cash generator, whereas now it is guided tours for a few only on weekend afternoons in the Summer months. How sad! And finally, my heart goes out to Lady Penelope Third Countess Mountbatten of Burma. Let’s hope that she proves worthy of her esteemed title, although she herself cannot take the Earldom seat in the House of Lords, I nevertheless reckon that we as communicators, see Lady Penelope as our direct link to the memory of Lord Louis himself.

  Foot note: Broadlands came into the Mountbatten family through Edwina and her nee name, the Ashley family. This Wikipedia entry says it all. By the time Lord Louis Mountbatten first met Edwina in 1920, she was a leading member of London society. Her maternal grandfather died in 1921, leaving her £2 million (£53.6 million in today's pounds), and his palatial London townhouse, Brook House 113 Park Lane Mayfair which soon afterwards Edwina sold for a mega sum of money, which was almost immediately turned into flats. All this at a time when her future husband's naval salary was £610 a year (£30 thousand in today's pounds). Later, she would inherit the country seat of Broadlands, Hampshire, from her father, Wilfred William Ashley, 1st Baron Mount Temple. My, what a lucky man Lord Louis was and in spades, for Edwina was seriously seriously filthy rich and sadly died so young? Mountbatten could be considered a pauper by comparison!

Yours aye

Jeff Dykes