• 1941 MkIII British WWII Military Prismatic Marching Compass

    1941 MkIII British WWII Military Prismatic Marching Compass
    Serial No 89C338
    (Mfg by T. G. Co. Ltd, London)


    (Click PIC To Enlarge)

    Material: Black painted brass
    Size: 3 1/4" x 2 1/4" x 1 1/4"
    Weight: 9 1/2 oz.
    Needle: Jeweled, (originally) liquid-damped card
    Graduation: Cardinal points; graduated in degrees, in full circle
    Stop: None
    Crystal: Glass


    Markings:

    Mk III
    English Broad Arrow
    89C338
    1941
    TG Co Ltd
    Manufacturer: T. G. Co. Ltd, London


    1941 MkIII British Marching Compass

    (12 picture virtual tour)

    Observations:
    Note: Pics of 1941 MkIII British Marching Compass provided courtesy of MILSURPS.COM member ~Angel~.

    The British Prismatic Marching Compass was made of brass (painted over in black) and had a mother of pearl compass card (dial) which glowed in the dark. Originally issued to officers, it was probably one of the finest compasses in use at the outbreak of World War II. As with many military compasses it could be read in degrees or mils. As most know there are 360 degrees in a circle. There are 6,400 mils in a circle or 17.78 mils per degree. This allowed the experienced user the ability to plot very accurately using the aiming posts and prism that were attached to the compass. This compass was used with the sun compass in navigating of the vast desert.


    Collector Comments and Feedback:

    1. The MkIII compass displayed in the photo pictorial was found at a local gun show. As indicated by the "Broad Arrow" marking, it's WWII British military issue and it retains most of its "painted black" appearance and is still working, although the liquid inside has long since evaporated. ......... (Feedback by "Badger")
    This article was originally published in forum thread: 1941 MkIII British WWII Military Prismatic Marching Compass started by Badger View original post
    Comments 4 Comments
    1. RossM10's Avatar
      The manufacturer is in fact "TG Co", standing for The Gramophone Company, not TG & Co.
      Information
      Warning: This is a relatively older thread
      This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.
    1. Badger's Avatar
      Name corrected .. thanks ...
    1. DaedalusWren's Avatar
      Yes, I know this thread has been dormant for some time but I must inquire about this compass. I have not been collecting prismatic compasses for long, so I will admit I may be wrong, but in that short time I have I have read almost everything I come across and scrutinize over every compass I see. That is why this compass in the pictures of this article has left a bad taste in my mouth. Were someone to show me this and ask me my opinion, I would say it was a reproduction. There are too many things that stand out as most likely being an copy from India rather than an original from TG Co. The glaring issues for me are the fact that the clamping ring does not have the customary eight clamping screws, which were needed to evenly hold the sealing ring so that the fluid, (Isopropyl Alcohol) was retained and did not leak/evaporate. Since the compass has no fluid in it, I believe it never did. The second issue is the lack of radium lights in the compass on either the compass card at the North indicator arrow, on the Index glass (where it is marked out but no paint is present) or on the clamping ring (where it customarily is not oval as is seen here). There are a few other indicators also but I think the biggest have been laid out here. As I said, I am far from a professional collector so I would ask if I am incorrect, that someone educate me in my errors. Thanks..
    1. Badger's Avatar
      These comments sections are not designed for interactive feedback, only comments about the articles. Try posting your question in the Enfield Collectors Forum (click here).

      Regards,
      Doug
Milsurps Talk Radio