New CEF artifact acquired, need a little help?

When I saw this in the UK on e-bay, as a Canadian milsurp guy AND a watch buff, I had to have it. I'm thinking it likely the watch has been in the UK since 1918 or so. I definitely overpaid at 400 pound, but you can't take it with you and CEF engraved items are tough to find these days.

It's a 1916-produced Omega export-model movement with a a plate layout and negative set hand system housed in a sterling silver case made in the US by Waltham. It's common to see export Swiss movements married to gold and silver cases in the US around this time, something to do with import duties on precious metal jewellery in the US at the time.

So what I need help with, is what is the TSDFA?

This watch is serviced and keeping time. I had a cool trench watch strap en-route and it WILL get occasionally worn :)

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...311633_o-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...311643_o-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...jpgnc169-1.jpg

That is beyond cool.

As an aside, only 3 M. Morgans joined the CEF in 1916, links as follows:

https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discov...&Ecopy=504914b

https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discov...&Ecopy=504913b

https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discov...&Ecopy=504910a

All three of them joined in Toronto, so I'm thinking it's possible the "T" in TSDFA stands for Toronto.

Very nice watch! Can we see a piccy of the inside of the caseback please? Now all you need is a crystal protector.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...jpgnc936-1.jpg

Not telling if it ever had a rock guard or not. Not sure where I could get one that fits anyhow.

Keep looking on eBay, they are actually pretty standard. I found one for an Illinois I had. It'll probably be easier to find the type with the loops on the ends.

Ya, I checked, but most of the ones on the 'bay are obvious modern fakes.

Is the "S" possibly an ampersand? Toronto and District.............

One of the 1916 enlistee Morgans listed his trade as "fireman". I wonder if it could be Toronto & Districts Fireman's Association?

The case was made by the American Watch Case Co. of Toronto, which ties in perfectly with rest of the watch. Interesting watch!

Typical of these, it appears to have been a pocket watch that has had loops added by the jeweler for a band. Typical of the way a wrist watch started. Very nice piece.

I'm pretty sure this one is not a conversion, but rather an early wrist watch. It's only 33mm in diameter, converted PW's tend to be in the 38mm-45mm range. Also, Omega PW's of the period had the winding stem above 12.

Well I have it here now. DEFINITELY not a PW conversion, it's original trench.

The only fault I can find is that one of the wire lugs has one end re-silver-soldered to the case, but it's a well-done period repair. I'm wearing it today on a great high-end repro of a British-issue WW1 trench watch cuff in military tan. It even has a hallmarked silver buckle. Watch is keeping great time, so the service the seller gave it appears to have it working in top shape. The inside of the case back has the service being done in November 2013. The glass is the original domed crystal with only very minor hairline scratches. It's a truly great piece with a pristine porcelain dial.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...e4d9cae8-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...d22b4537-1.jpg

Now that I have it in-hand, it's obvious that the inscription acronym is T&D.F.A. Odds are, the watch was presented to Marcel Turner Morgan of the 48th Highlanders, C.E.F. He enlisted as a Lieutenant in February 1916 in Toronto, but is listed as a Captain in the National archives, so he got promoted during the war. Born 28/05/1865, he was a stock broker before enlisting. The Library and Archives records don't show if he survived or not.

Marcel Morgan is the only Morgan that was both an officer and was enlisted in 1916. It's doubtful an enlisted man in 1916 could afford a sterling silver Omega trench watch, and typically such timepieces were only worn by officers. It's quite likely I have the right man, so I'm assuming T&DFA has something to do with the Toronto scene.

I found this article on Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geordie_Campbell

It refers to a Toronto & District Football Association, being active just before WW1. Geordie Campbell (born 1884) , the subject of the article, played for them as an all-star in 1906. It's possible Marcel Morgan either played for or was associated with this sports league before the war and received the watch as a gift from well-to-do friends. Educated speculation, I suppose, but it's the only documented use of the acronym I can find in the great war era.

Edit: I found records showing the T&DFA (soccer league) being active from 1906 through 1914, but no records of it being active during the war. I found an article stating it was renamed to the T&D Soccer Association in 1926, and it eventually evolved into the Canadian Soccer Association that still exists today.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Claven2

one of the wire lugs has one end re-silver-soldered

---

That'll be what I was looking at then when I made that bold accusation. Nice piece...

The "S" is an "&" as in T&DFA

Found this:
http://books.google.com/books?id=o-s...istory&f=false