Binoculars

[Ed Storey]

During the Second World War the British/Canadians employed a number of binocular types with different magnifications for specific applications. A numbering system was used to differentiate each of the specific binocular types. Binoculars were precision optical equipment in which only a few companies had the ability to manufacture so it is not uncommon to find contracts being met by R.E.L. in Canada for the British which would account for the Broad Arrow stamp. The Finnegans marked 1937 Pattern Web case is indeed a British manufactured item as confirmed by the Broad Arrow markings.

I have attached a photographs from my collection of a set of C Broad Arrow stamped American manufactured Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. 8x30 Military Stereo as an example of inter-Allied production of optics.

IMG_8322 copy.jpg

IMG_8314 1 copy.jpg

[Lars R.]

Thanks Ed!

Yea, I thought it would have been an inter-Allied effort!
Nice Compass. I only wish I could find someone who could refill mine...
Double Broad Arrow means officially surplused, right?

[Ed Storey]

Originally Posted by Lars R.

Thanks Ed!

Yea, I thought it would have been an inter-Allied effort!
Nice Compass. I only wish I could find someone who could refill mine...
Double Broad Arrow mean officially surplused, right?

Thank you! My example is also a Broad Arrow marked 1943 dated Mk III manufactured by T.G. Co. Ltd. in London, although it is not as new as your boxed example.

Yes, the double Broad Arrow in a perfect world indicates it was officially surplused; although with the thousands of tons of Allied war material that was disposed of, it was impossible to double-stamp everything.

[Ed Storey]

T.G. Co. Ltd. must have manufactured a lot of compasses in 1943 as mine is serial number 235418.

[Lars R.]

Strange a '39 one ended as post war surplus in a box! Must have been at the back of the storage shelf!
Even more strange, it turned up on German Gumtree as an "unknown military" item! Obviously not even used after aquired 70 or so years ago!

[Lynn Eades]

Ed, over here those special lines of equipment were "Class A" stores which included things like compasses and firearms. I would suggest that it is those things that were marked with the double arrow or SOS (sold out of service) at disposal. (well it used to be....... now days they are just left to the enemy in multi billion dollar lots.

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

...... now days they are just left to the enemy in multi billion dollar lots.......

to be used as chicken coops or playground equipment. The exception will be the higher end stuff that will go to China or Russia for examination and copying.



The Hodgies, despite their obsession with the traditions of centuries ago, are a resourceful people. They might even be able to get some of the equipment operational. But you don't get a second chance when you are flying an advanced helicopter or jet aircraft, and the parts and technology do not come from ebay. As to the small arms left behind, there was no shortage of that stuff in that part of the world. And there were plenty of countries who were not supportive of the US willing to send more.

[Mike K]

The local Gippsland disposals outlet 'Aussie Disposals' had quite a number of those WW2 dated Canadian binocular cases for sale, this was around the mid 1980s , I still have one or two of the cases along with hundreds of the 1944 dated utility pouches (they were on special) , all with the C arrow. They also had handgrips of Austen guns , 19 set control boxes and NOS Morse keys , wartime dated F rod sets and more. Plus loads of Larkspur radio equipment.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Lynn Eades

…. that were marked with the double arrow or SOS (sold out of service) at disposal…

SOS stands for Struck Off Strength (in this context)