Wrist watches for soldiers early 1915?

[kerry]

Hello,

in early May 1915 in Flanders, would Privates have been issued with some kind of wrist watch, or would they have had to buy them? Or rely on senior ranks to tell them what time it was?

Thanks in advance.

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

Any soldier, officer or OR, would have had to buy his own wrist watch.

I recently posted an image of a newspaper advert for wristwatches, which quoted ther cost.
Unfortunately I can't find it at the moment. I'll keep looking.

[kerry]

Thank you @Dai Bach y Sowldiwr I thought that might have been the case.

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

I can't find the post, but I think I referenced the Daily Mail of Thursday,  Dec. 17, 1914 showing this wrist watch for sale at H.Samuel for 7/9d, equivalent to about £40 today. A bit pricey maybe, but cheap enough for widespread distribution. No doubt there were cheaper ones available.

[kerry]

Thank you for posting this. I suspect that few private soldiers had them routinely.

[kenf48]

26 minutes ago, kerry said:

Thank you for posting this. I suspect that few private soldiers had them routinely.

From the Coventry Standard May 7/8 1915:-

"The Swiss Press states that an order for several million watch bracelets is shortly to be placed among Swiss firms by the British Government.  It is added that in future every British soldier, before proceeding to the fronts to be provided with one of these articles."

Did it happen, I don't know but I don't think so, but it was widely syndicated at the time.  Wristwatches were advertised throughout the war and promoted as gifts, along with many other items, for the soldier at the Front.

 In February 1915 H Samuel's cheapest gun metal wrist watch was six shillings and sixpence 6/6d; solid silver 7/6d and luminous from 10/6d.

Ten bob seems to have been the competitive starting price for 'essential' luminous watches.

[6th Hauraki KIA KAHA]

Wrist watches were not issued untill 1917 in government trials. They were private purchase. Lots of info on the internet. Plenty of pocket watches issued though for certain services. Have a few in my collection. 

Jonathan

Edited 21 April by 6th Hauraki KIA KAHA

[kerry]

Thank you - yes, I'm now finding out that this is the case.

[kenf48]

10 minutes ago, kerry said:

this is the case.

Watch Case -many sizes - from 1/6d 

[Andrew Upton]

3 hours ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

...I recently posted an image of a newspaper advert for wristwatches, which quoted their cost.

Unfortunately I can't find it at the moment. I'll keep looking.

 

3 hours ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

I can't find the post, but I think I referenced the Daily Mail of Thursday,  Dec. 17, 1914 showing this wrist watch for sale at H.Samuel for 7/9d, equivalent to about £40 today. A bit pricey maybe, but cheap enough for widespread distribution. No doubt there were cheaper ones available.

This thread?

 

"From the Daily Mail, December 18th 1914 Issue 5838, p3, an advert for H.Samuel, Manchester:"

 

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

12 minutes ago, Andrew Upton said:

This thread?

Exactly that one.

[Chasemuseum]

Pocket watches were an issue item to signallers so that they could record the time messages were sent and received. As the war progressed some wireless equipment incorporated holders to secure the watch to the lid of the equipment to secure them in a prominent position.

 

 

This is the wireless receiver "Short Wave Tuner Mk III. Probably the most common surviving crystal receiver from the war, used to receive spark gap morse messages from aircraft for artillery fire correction. The silver covered fitting inside the lid is the pocket watch holder. 

 

In WW2 many military radios had watch holders on the panel.

 

The responsibility for purchasing watches varied, in WW2 with RAAF officers had to buy their own. My father was a Flt Lt navigator and I have his watch which he had to pay for. 

[593jones]

I remember reading ;in 'Pals' by Joh Cooksey a quote from a member of the 14th York and Lancaster Regiment about the 12th Battalion, and seeing them marching with the sun shining off their wrist watches.  He called the 12th 'the coffee and bun boys', the 14th were the 'ragged a***e battalion'.