Sea Shanty Town

Nautical Treasury

Iceberg 5c, Antarctica (Melted)

Iceberg 5c, Antarctica (Melted) © Graeme Walker / The Pebble Museum 2019

Collected in 1918 by the crew of the stolen WW1 submarine, HMS Cockfoster, at 4018 sq miles, Iceberg 5c was renowned as the largest iceberg ever recorded. However, by the time it drifted to the equator it had reduced in size to approximately 200ml - enough to fit in a standard glass beaker. The ice had been collected to accompany the bosun's gin ration, but unfortunately the strong equatorial sun got to it first - to which this, the only photo of the iceberg discovered to date, gives mournful testament.