Lifejacket from SS 'Skaubryn'. White canvas cover, filled with kapok. Single filled compartment at front and back. Stencilled in black on the front '188 SKAUBRYN OSLO', back 'MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT STANDARD LIFE JACKET 188 MACKLIN'. On the shoulder strap '15 JULY 1954 HULL'. Inscribed in blue pen rather illegibly 'J.E. Hall [?] purser of the City of Sydney...will never forget all your splendid hospitality and kindliness to all of us DR ANNEFRIED SIELOW Prof...Kurt Bicklow'. On the other side 'Alfred Foster E ...Lain'.
The SS 'Skaubryn' was a Norwegian ship carrying emigrants from Malta to Australia in 1958. The engine room caught fire in the Indian Ocean on 31 March 1958 and the passengers were taken on board the nearby 'City of Sydney'.
Annefried Sielow was the ship's doctor, then of 85 Nurnberg, Gunthers Buhlerstrasse 9, Germany.