Bell of iconic First World War battleship unearthed in Yorkshire more than 100 years on

The bell from the SS Stock Force, which was attacked by a German submarine on July 30, 1918, will go on public display for the first time in more than 105 years. The historic relic was salvaged when the crew of ship - led by captain Lieutenant Harold Auten - bravely fought of German submarine gunners before it sank.

And it's is expected to fetch upto £5,000 when it goes under the hammer in Scarborough on Friday (Jul 7).

Jess Tarver, maritime specialist at David Duggleby auctioneers, said: "It is the first time the Stock Force bell has even been seen in public for 105 years, let alone appeared in an auction."

Stock Force was torpedoed 25 miles off the Devon Coast by the UB-80 at 5pm on the afternoon of July 30, 1918. The massive explosion wrecked the front of the ship, including the bridge, leaving the vessel dead in the water, billowing smoke and slowly sinking.

The German sub, skippered by Kapitanleutenant Max Viebeg - one of the deadliest U-boat aces of the war with 50 sinkings to his name - rose to the surface half a mile away. It then slowly approached Stock Force, determined to finish the job by gunfire.

But what they didn't realise was that the boat - built in Dundee before being re-equipped in the Humber - was a Q ship, heavily armed with concealed guns. As the boat slowly sank and crewmen were being treated by the ship's surgeon, daring Auten held his post alongside the crews of the ship's two surviving guns. As the submarine approached, they peppered it with gunfire until it sank.

Stock Force eventually sank with colours flying, but the officers and men were taken off by two torpedo boats and a trawler. Lieutenant Auten was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the British Army, for his actions that day.

The bell was among some of the kit salvaged from the ruins and made its way back to Earle's shipyard on the Humber, where the boat was equipped with its guns. It remained in the personal collection of the shipyard family and their descendants until a couple of years ago.

The bell was recently discovered in a house clearance and was passed onto a private collector who decided to put the bell up for auction for the first time ever.

Jess added: "The astonishing story had an equally astonishing ending. Lieutenant Auten was awarded the VC for what was described as one of the finest actions in Q-ship history. The British believed that the submarine had been sunk but incredibly it hadn't, Kapitanleutenant Viebeg got the badly damaged boat home. It was part of the fleet handed over to the Allies after Germany's surrender.

"Both men survived the war by more than 40 years, living into the 1960s."

The bell will go on display at David Duggleby's salerooms in Scarborough on Wednesday and Thursday from 10am-4pm. It can also be seen on Friday morning from 9am until the start of the auction at 11am.