The boat badge of HMS 'Calcutta' 1918. An official design, the pattern approved in 1920. On a black field, an heraldic sealion rampant, gold, holding a lotus flower proper. The design is derived from the arms of the Indian city granted in 1896. The badge is pentagonal with a gold rope twist border representing a cruiser. It is made of cast brass, painted and drilled at the corners. 'CALCUTTA' is inscribed on the reverse. HMS 'Calcutta' was a C-class light cruiser, built by Vickers Ltd and launched in 1918. She was converted to an anti-aircraft cruiser in 1939. During the early part of the war she took part in the campaign in Norway. After evacuating troops and civilians from German-occupied France including participating in the Dunkirk evacuation, 'Calcutta' was involved in a collision with HMCS 'Fraser' off Bayonne, in which the latter ship sank. In 1941 she was deployed in the Mediterranean based in Alexandria. She escorted convoys to Malta and helped to evacuate allied troops from Greece and Crete. She was sunk by German bombers of Alexandria on 1 June 1941.