Can anyone here identify....

[Rob Fast]

this item and it's use? Thanks Rob
http://www.ebay.com/itm/WW-2-1941-Da...item58a42543aa

[Wayne Henderson]

Hi Rob,
These were often strapped to a tripod leg and used with a Artillery plotting board. More of a trainning room apt than used in the field.
Bloody well made but useless... like Lara Bingle.

Wayne

[Lang]

Wayne,

How were they used? I can think of all sorts of uses for the sight and parallel ruler function but what was its artillery purpose?

Lang

[Keith Webb]

Bloody well made but useless... like Lara Bingle.

Ha ha, classic!

[Tim Bell]

I have one somewhere for my plotting board... never used it yet and normally leave it behind... as already said... very well made!

Tim

Originally Posted by Rob Fast

this item and it's use? Thanks Rob
http://www.ebay.com/itm/WW-2-1941-Da...item58a42543aa

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Rob, it's an open sight alidade. It was used to make topographic maps on a plane table. The idea was you would use the sights to determine the direction of an object, a level to estimate its elevation and stadia measurements to determine its distance. The operator would plot features of interest onto a map. The RCA (your interest I presume) used these in 1st and 2nd Survey RCA.

[Lang]

Here is a more sophisticated similar instrument.

[Marc van Aalderen]

Originally Posted by Wayne Henderson

Hi Rob,
These were often strapped to a tripod leg and used with a Artillery plotting board. More of a trainning room apt than used in the field.
Bloody well made but useless... like Lara Bingle.

Wayne

Not being an Ozzie I had to Google Lara Bingle. I must confess I would have more use for her than for the Alidade.... says the wife.