Barber's pole. A wooden tapered pole, painted white with red spirals, Ships' names are painted in black. 'Gourock, London, Sheffield, London, Valiant, QE, Valiant, Emerald, VAEF, Renown, Swiftsure, Renown, London, Renown, Belfast, Orion, Ajax, Mauritius, Flag Captain to FOM, MCE, Corradin, St Angelo, Roebuck, Sheffield, Centaur, Bulwark, Maidstone, Eagle, Jamaica, Wizard, Whirlwind.' The item has a brass plate half way down. A barber's pole is believed to have been taken from a shop in Malta during the 1930s, subsequently the gunrooms of the Mediterranean and Home Fleet competed to steal it from each other.