The Emden’s Bell
Recovered from the wreck of the first enemy ship sunk by the Royal Australian Navy during the First World War as a trophy, the Emden’s bell was later stolen twice and recovered in high-profile cases that made headlines around Australia.
Displayed at the Australian naval base on Garden Island, Sydney, from 1917, it was stolen in a daring raid in 1932. Bolted to a stand in the entrance of the main office, it was discovered missing on 12 August and eventually found buried in the Sydney area in February 1933 and donated to the Australian War Memorial.
With the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany, the Memorial feared the bell could become a target for German nationalists and wanted to make sure it was secure. Displayed in a temporary exhibition in Sydney, it was secured to a heavy plinth by a thick steel cable bolted to the ground. This did not stop it being stolen a second time, and in late April 1933, two months after it was recovered, it disappeared again.
A suspect was Charles Kaolmel, a 30-yearold German immigrant, who arrived in Australia in the 1920s. Kaolmel had been involved in the earlier ‘recovery’ of the bell, claiming he bought it from an unknown man for £150 and planned to sell it in Germany, but panicked when he discovered it was stolen. He said he buried the bell fearing he would be charged with its theft.
Kaolmel initially saw the bell after visiting the island and realised it would be easy to steal. A few nights later, he took a motor launch to the island, stopping the engine on approach and drifting to the jetty near the main office. He located the bell, undid the bolts, and carried it to his boat. He kept the bell covered in his boat until the next day when he hid it away. The next night he buried it.
For the second theft, Kaolmel used a pair of pliers to cut the wire fastening the bell to its pedestal before placing a bag over the bell and carrying it to the fire escape, and then putting it in a truck.
The theft was discovered within a day, but over the following months, police investigations failed to find the culprit.
Various suspects were investigated, and an unsuccessful attempt was made to locate Charles Kaolmel based on his role in the first theft.
Eventually, Kalomel was found, and while he maintained he had not stolen the bell, which had not yet been recovered, he was charged with both thefts, found guilty, and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.
Released on bail pending appeal, Kalomel agreed to speak with The Sydney Morning Herald, foolishly hoping for a reward for the bell’s return. The newspaper, keen for a scoop, drove Kaolmel to Melbourne and dug up the bell on 29 December 1933 in Royal Park after he showed them where it was. As the journalists didn’t get a chance to take photos, they later re-enacted its recovery. The newspaper returned the bell to the Memorial in January 1934, while Kalomel cancelled his appeal and served the rest of his sentence.
Fearful of another theft, a replica was made and displayed in place of the original for the next 40 years. The original is now on display in the First World War galleries of the Australian War Memorial.