This pair of binoculars bears engraved plates which read: "Presented by the British Government to Arthur Bland, skipper of the steam trawler Limewold of Grimsby in acknowledgment of his humanity and kindness to the survivors of the ship wrecked crew of the steamship Pacific of Sunderland which was wrecked in the North Sea on the 9th Sept 1908".

Little is known about the incident other than 2,900 ton steamship Pacific was travelling from Sunderland to Buenos Airies with a cargo of coal when it ran aground on the Outer Dowsing Shoal, which even with today’s technology is difficult to navigate due to its shallow waters and undersea terrace. Eighteen of the crew were rescued up by Grimsby fisherman Arthur Bland and his crew of his trawler Limewold. 5 men from the crew of the Pacific sadly died.

The binoculars were made by British firm Troughton and Simms, a British scientific instrument firm established in 1826.

The binoculars sold at auction as part of the clearance of Beal House, a Grade II listed country estate near Thirsk, North Yorkshire.