Former C.S. Bell employee and bell enthusiast Tim Koehl donated a U.S. Navy YOG Transport Class Ships Bell manufactured by the C.S. Bell Company in 1944 to be displayed behind the veterans memorial at the Highland County Courthouse in Hillsboro.

Koehl purchased the bell on Facebook from Jane Tuke-Johns, who found the bell on her family farm in Clinton County. The bell was being used as a safety weight to hold down a cistern lid.

During a Feb. 24 meeting of the Highland County commissioners, Koehl said he “would be happy” to donate a bell to the veterans memorial area that could possibly be used for “services or whatever.” Koehl said the bell he planned to donate was a Navy transport bell cast in 1944 that “didn’t have a good ring” and “grew legs,” disappearing for more than 80 years. Koehl said he found it and figured out the only aspect that was still original was the bell itself.

Dwight Reynolds, president of the Highland County Veterans Service Commission, said at the February meeting that he was “intrigued” by the bell and the proposed location would be an “appropriate” place for it. He also said that he and Rick Wilkin, board member at the Highland County Veterans Service Commission, contacted Hillsboro Mayor Justin Harsha about concrete for it. Reynolds said they also have the funds to do it with their memorial funds. Daniels said maybe a possibility would be to have it done before Memorial Day, with Wilkin saying that would “probably” be the plan.

The bell that was put on display at the courthouse Wednesday, April 11, was never used in service on a Navy ship. The chemical analysis of the metal used for the bell was short of expectations. The bell was defective with a shallow ring and did not pass inspection.

Although the bell would have normally been remelted and poured into a new mold, it somehow made it out of the foundry and disappeared for 80 years and was cracked and repaired somewhere along the way.

Koehl said the bell is a unique survivor that represents those who wanted to serve but were not fit for military service.

The U.S. Navy transport vessel YOG 57 was christened in Camden, New Jersey in 1945 with the same type of bell and served through World War II. It was sunk as a target by Navy dive bombers in 1977. The YOG designation stands for Yard Oiler Gasoline. The YOG class of transports were waterborne gasoline service stations for military ships.

The C.S. Bell Company cast thousands of bells for the U.S. Navy, Russian Navy and merchant mariners.

Reach John Hackley at 937-402-2571.