Artillery equipment

[Ben Maclennan]

Can anyone identify the piece of equipment on the tripod? The soldier is Don Maclennan, signaller with the Inverness Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, and the photograph was taken in Palestine.

[kenf48]

Welcome to the GWF

I don't know 

Possibly an aircraft Marconi morse code spark transmitter adapted for use on the ground.  It was used for artillery spotting in aircraft.

https://www.royalsignalsmuseum.co.uk/ww1-ww2-communications/

In any event these are the guys to ask and would no doubt like the picture.

Scroll down for the image

@David Porter may be able to assist

[David Porter]

Welcome to the Forum,

That is a great photo, however, I'm no expert on the technical equipment used by signallers. There were experiments done in Palestine with wireless transmission between the RHA and aircraft, as Ken says, to aid spotting the enemy. I can tell you that 214/600024 Donald MacLennan enlisted in April 1912, the second number being issued at the beginning of 1917.

[MikeMeech]

7 hours ago, Ben Maclennan said:

Can anyone identify the piece of equipment on the tripod? The soldier is Don Maclennan, signaller with the Inverness Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, and the photograph was taken in Palestine.

Hi

The item does not look like any wireless equipment in use during WW1, they are also not generally fitted to tripods, they were heavy enough with their power sources and not used standing up.  It also appears to have a 'lens' at the 'front' of the device, although it does not look like any of the types of signalling lamps used during the war.  The tripod appears to be the standard one used for heliographs and signalling lamps.  I also don't think it is a theodolite, at least not like ones I have seen or used, but someone may know better.  There is no cable link to a power source but that could probably be due to it not being essential for the photograph of the soldier. It also looks a bit odd for a camera, unless the 'cylinder' on the left of the device is for winding the film on?

Sorry for the negativity.

Mike 

[pierssc]

I can't find the exact bit, but I think it may be an artillery "aiming circle"

 

EDIT: Aha!  Is it a Director No.4 (Fig.20)?  I think the page tells you the principle on which it works (it's way too complicated for me!).

 

"The No 4 director, which had two different heads with telescopes providing different magnification appeared early in WW1.  The lower magnification was for gun position use, while observers used the higher magnification head.    There was a common stand for both heads, and this stand had the director's azimuth scale permanently fitted."

https://www.britishartillery.co.uk/fc_laying.htm

Photo is from link to parent site

 

Also used for MG indirect fire.  A bit about it at https://vickersmg.blog/in-use/accessories/sighting-and-gun-laying-equipment/

Probably loads of other hits once one knows what to search for....

Edited 20 January by pierssc

[FROGSMILE]

12 hours ago, pierssc said:

I can't find the exact bit, but I think it may be an artillery "aiming circle"

 

EDIT: Aha!  Is it a Director No.4 (Fig.20)?  I think the page tells you the principle on which it works (it's way too complicated for me!).

 

"The No 4 director, which had two different heads with telescopes providing different magnification appeared early in WW1.  The lower magnification was for gun position use, while observers used the higher magnification head.    There was a common stand for both heads, and this stand had the director's azimuth scale permanently fitted."

https://www.britishartillery.co.uk/fc_laying.htm

Photo is from link to parent site

 

Also used for MG indirect fire.  A bit about it at https://vickersmg.blog/in-use/accessories/sighting-and-gun-laying-equipment/

Probably loads of other hits once one knows what to search for....

Well done pierssc!  That’s certainly it alright.  I’d been looking at various sighting devices for ages having noted the tripod and azimuth (bearing) scale, but couldn’t find one with an image of the lower magnification head.  It matches perfectly what’s seen in the photograph, including the knurled/grooved drum for elevation, the scale index and the levelling bubble housing. 👍

Edited 21 January by FROGSMILE

[Ben Maclennan]

Thank you all!