| The HMS Malaya Bell is installed at the V.I. in September, 1947 |
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The HMS Malaya was one of five battleships of the Queen
Elizabeth class built in 1913. She was so named in appreciation of the
donations made by the people of the Federated Malay States. HMS Malaya
displaced 31,000 tons, had 15-inch guns mounted and was capable of 25
knots. She saw action in the First World War Battle of Jutland, and was
hit, suffering 63 casualties. In the Second World War HMS Malaya saw
action in the Mediterranean and supported the landings in North West
Europe.
With the post-war reconditioning of the ship, the First Lord of the Admiralty decided to make a presentation of the bell to the V.I. On the 12th September, 1947, the second anniversary of the signing of the Japanese surrender in the VI Hall, a short ceremony took place at the school. The Malayan Police mounted a guard of honour with the band of the 2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment in the rear. Detachments from HMS Black Swan, the Gurkha Rifles and the Royal Air Force were also on parade. The Governor of the Malayan Union, Sir Edward Gent, inspected the Guard of Honour. He then accompanied the Headmaster Mr F Daniel to the balcony where the Bell was suspended from a tripod and draped in the White Ensign. Rear Admiral H.J. Egerton unveiled the Bell and rang eight bells to bid farewell to the good ship, and eight more to mark the inception of a new era in the Bell's history. The Governor accepted the Bell on behalf of the people of Malaya. The Headmaster of VI said that the bell "would always be one of the School's most treasured possessions." The ceremony was broadcast live and was also filmed by the Malayan Film Unit. The large crowd of dignitaries present included the Raja Muda of Perak, the Chief Justice, the Chief Secretary, the Selangor Resident Commissioner, the Consuls of America and China, and senior government and military officers.
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