A beautiful official boat badge from the ship, not a souvenir. Wonderful patina and original paint. 

The HMS Orion (85) was a Leander-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, commissioned in January 1934.  Initially serving with the Home Fleet and the America & West Indies Station, she transferred to the Mediterranean in June 1940 where she became flagship of the 7th Cruiser Squadron under Vice-Admiral John Tovey.  During WWII she took part in major actions—bombardments, Malta convoys, the Battles of Calabria and Cape Matapan—and suffered heavy damage evacuating Crete in May 1941, being repaired in South Africa and the USA.  After repairs she returned to front-line operations, supporting the invasions of Sicily (1943), Normandy (1944) where she fired the first shell, and Southern France, gathering 13 battle honours.  She ended her active service in 1947 and was sold for scrap in July 1949.