Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Telescope Grading


MikB

Recommended Posts

I've asked this question from time to time in the hope that someone might have come across a source:

When civilian 'optical munitions' were accepted for military service in the emergency of 1914-15, they were marked up with grades relating to quality and design.

Grading of binoculars is documented in Fred Watson's booklet (no.317 in the Shire Albums series, ISBN 0-7478-0292-0), but I've never found the corresponding grade definitions for telescopes.

I have a Negretti & Zambra 'Laird' big-game telescope bearing the Broad Arrow. This scope is a dead-posh, top-of-the-range job with a 2 3/8" achromatic triplet objective with astonishingly low reflective losses between elements, a 30-35-40x pancratic slide and nickel-silver drawtubes offering a weight saving of 14 ounces compared to the same model in brass. It sold for £14-15s-0d in the 1921 catalogue.

It must have been one of the best hand telescopes available anywhere in the world at the time, but it got marked up as a 'Special, Grade 2'.

I can speculate about its larger size than the GS telescope, the fact that it didn't fit the standard tripod, or its difficult-to-disguise blingy material, but if anyone knows how the 'Specials' Grades were defined for telescopes, I'd be grateful to know.

The picture shows it with its smaller brother, the 'MacLeod' - which has no military markings.

Regards,

MikB

post-5501-0-17244900-1384631239_thumb.jppost-5501-0-11366100-1384631440_thumb.jp

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Just bumping this question to see if anyone's memory gets jogged...

Regards,

MikB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Certainly a fine telescope. An inflation quide suggest it would cost about £ 600 today.

Old Tom

The only comparable draw telescope of traditional construction that I know of in current manufacture is a 25 x 2" by Gray of Inverness, which sells new for about double that. My guess would be that present-day labour costs probably account for most of that difference.

Regards,

MikB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a Telescope with the following markings, "Ross of London 1909 with a stamped Arrow and Tel. Sig. (Mark II) No 4483, all brass with a brown leather top slider. This belonged my good ladies Grandfather Sgt later WO1 (RSM) A.H. Hilton DCM ( For conspicuous gallantry 28th June 1915 Gallipoli Peninsula) 97th Battery RFA, but it has no other marking indicating a grading? Does that mean its standard issue and why would Artillery require one.

Kind regards

Hiram

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a Telescope with the following markings, "Ross of London 1909 with a stamped Arrow and Tel. Sig. (Mark II) No 4483, all brass with a brown leather top slider. This belonged my good ladies Grandfather Sgt later WO1 (RSM) A.H. Hilton DCM ( For conspicuous gallantry 28th June 1915 Gallipoli Peninsula) 97th Battery RFA, but it has no other marking indicating a grading? Does that mean its standard issue and why would Artillery require one.

Kind regards

Hiram

Yes, it was a standard issue telescope - and later Marks carried the legend 'also GS' (General Service) after their Mark No., though I don't think I've ever seen that on a Mk.II. The Tel Sig series originated in Victorian times as part of the heliograph signalling system in use by the Army, but were obviously found useful by other branches as well.

Since these were standard issue, they didn't fall within the scope ( :D - <groan>) of the grading system for adopted civilian 'Specials'.

There was a Tel. F.A. series intended for Field Artillery, but these were never produced in similar quantities and (IMHO) are actually less generally useful and versatile. Of course, telescopes would be a basic requirement for artillery observation and spotting - with 30x available from the 'High' eyepiece, the Tel. Sigs. - especially those from the best makers, like Ross - were about as good as it was possible to get at the time within that size and weight range. Their performance compares well with modern spotting scopes.

Regards,

MikB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi MikB,

Thanks for that useful information, the casing around the outer section of the telescope when folded within its self has been dented all over - softer brass outer skin - showing its considerable usage and it still works perfectly well.

Kind regards

Hiram

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi MikB,

Thanks for that useful information, the casing around the outer section of the telescope when folded within its self has been dented all over - softer brass outer skin - showing its considerable usage and it still works perfectly well.

Kind regards

Hiram

Denting on the tapered barrel isn't uncommon. You may value it as evidence of hard service, but if you can make up a suitable mandrel, with undercuts at the ends to avoid damaging the screwthreads, and clamp it rigidly, for example in a lathe chuck, you can do a pretty creditable job of removing the dents by patient and judicious tapping with a soft-faced hammer.

Regards,

MikB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi MikB,

Thanks for that but I think your point about its value as evidence of hard service is worth more than if it showed no sign of use and by having the dents it gives it an air of notoriety I believe.

Kind regards

Hiram

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...