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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Ross binoculars


perejler

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Thanks for looking TimD

Can you see if the fathers might have initials HN. Just wondering if they were given to a son leaving for WW1. They could also have been sold on before the war.

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They don't I'm afraid.

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Thanks for trying. I could be looking for the wrong town! I thought Sydney because that is where they were bought.

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We they they only Australian distributor?

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Yes as far as I know. They had Fairfax on them with a Ross serial number. Other distributors would have had their name on them? although I suppose they could have supplied other stores anywhere in the country. It seems reasonable to start with Sydney .

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I might be onto something. There was a H.N.Wilkinson who is recorded an old boy of the Sydney Church of England Grammar School in the late 1890s. He was from the Wilkinson family who had wineries in the NSW Hunter Region - named Coolalta Wines. There appear to have been a number of brothers who settled in the area, including a gentleman named Alfred Wilkinson - formerly a Cadet of the East India Company and 33rd Regt Madras Infantry. Try as I might I can't seem to figure our H.N's names.

Tim D

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This probably the type of family he would have been from .

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http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/162827107?searchTerm=Wilkinsoncoolalta&searchLimits=

One of the son's who started the winery was John Alfred William and his son Harry Noel Wilkinson 1877-1941 was the old boy I'd say. Born Maitland NSW.

Rgs

Tim D

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Would a family tree be available to you? I just wondered if any of the sons were 21 yrs old 13/3/09. I also read that John had travelled in Europe studying vinyards and wonder if they could have been lost then, before the war.

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I think they had done their study well before 1909. He doesn't have any family listed in any of the trees online and no mention of family in the only obituary I have found.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/17761885?searchTerm=harryWilkinson gosford&searchLimits=l-decade=194|||l-year=1941|||l-state=New+South+Wales

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Perhaps the old boy gifted his binoculars to equip a family member going off to the war.

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I have emailed the vineyard but could not find a personal email address. Hopefully they will reply but their website is not that strong on their history!!

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Perhaps the old boy gifted his binoculars to equip a family member going off to the war.

That was my thought in one of my early posts. It is trying to find a link.

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How about this one. His brother John Frederick Moore Wilkinson is living in London in 1911 - occupation Captain, 1st Australian Horse.

Served in the Boer War and looks like commissioned into RFA in Great War. Later a Major. He has papers at NA.

http://search.ancestry.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1911England&h=1475712&ti=5544&indiv=try&gss=pt&ssrc=pt_t2467558_p1054700747_kpidz0q3d1054700747z0q26pgz0q3d32768z0q26pgplz0q3dpid

Rgds

Tim D

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Brilliant detective work Tim and Johnboy. Although inevitably circumstantial there seems a strong probability given the clear linkage that you have uncovered. As a gunner an especially strong requirement for good binoculars too.

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Cheers mate,

I wouldn't take it to court...but it's a nice story!

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Cheers mate,

I wouldn't take it to court...but it's a nice story!

It would be nice if the family could be contacted to bring the story full circle, especially if they were keen to bring the binoculars 'home' and have them refurbished, but that's the old romantic in me speaking.

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It would be nice if the family could be contacted to bring the story full circle, especially if they were keen to bring the binoculars 'home' and have them refurbished, but that's the old romantic in me speaking.

See post#64. I will await reply.

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See post#64. I will await reply.

Yes, I am sorry johnboy, I had seen that you have emailed the winery/vineyard, I was just thinking of any direct descendants that might be alive who can remember talk of family members back that far. It will be interesting to see if you get a reply.

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Coolalta Wines where Harry worked in Sydney was only about 300m from the distributor. I am going to predict he was also a militia officer, unfortunately I don't know how we can prove it!

More interesting reading here:

http://webjournals.ac.edu.au/ojs/index.php/ADPCM/article/view/231/228

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At this stage I am not sure if they were all with the same company. Audley was I think a cousin.

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