Early 32 Scope?

[maxman]

I have an opportunity to pick up an unusual scope but would appreciate some input. The scope is the same size and shape of a No 32 scope, but is marked "TEL SIGHTING X 3.5" on one line and then "EXP. TROP. -1" in a line beneath. The turrets are brass but graduated similar to a 32 and no special tools are needed to adjust them for range or elevation.

Could this be an early or experimental 32 scope? Sorry but no pictures yet.

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

TROP usually indicated 'tropicalised' as in for use in the tropics. You are asking a hypothetoical question because a) we don't know and b) we can't see it. We DID tropicalise No 32's but they were the Mk2's and the very few Mk1's that were doing the rounds. Put it another way....... Tropicalising something is a bit of a play on words so far as my limited experience of monsoons and the troppics is concerned. if something was totally air tight and sealed in a humidity free atmosphere, the tropicalisation might last a week or so. Like wrist watches and binoculars............. They'd let the tropical moisture IN but not let it OUT again!!!!!!!

[Peter Laidler]

I expect we've heard the last from Maxman..........

[mrclark303]

I've only spent a limited amount of time in the tropics Peter.

But after a period spent in the Mekong Delta back in the 90's, all our electronic equipment packed up and our clothes literally came apart at the seams.

I really feel for the guys who had to live
and fight in that unforgiving environment.

The water gets into and moulds absolutely everything.

[Gil Boyd]

John,
As Peter will bear out, we tried everything in Malaya predominantly to see how long it lasted.
I can say hand on heart, it looked great in its box, but once it saw the jungle and the humidity and constant rain NOTHING HMG gave us worked for long.

Even the issue "Jungle webbing" that literally slid off you when it was wet. Made of plastic with anti slip buckles....NOT.
Designed by a civvy in the UK somewhere.

44 Pattern was all we ever preferred, it was designed for the climate back in WW2 and did what it said on the box!
We ditched the Prismatic compasses as they filled with rain, and ALWAYS navigated on SILVA shop bought at De Borras in Aldershot in the day.........crazy !! Don't think we ever bothered with NVG's as we knew the issues.
No different to the 9 Frigates tied up in Portsmouth currently cos their engines overheat in Gulf temperatures exactly where they are needed now!!

[Roger Payne]

Even with pix it would probably have to be a speculative response, but without photographs........?!?

[mrclark303]

John,
As Peter will bear out, we tried everything in Malaya predominantly to see how long it lasted.
I can say hand on heart, it looked great in its box, but once it saw the jungle and the humidity and constant rain NOTHING HMG gave us worked for long.

Even the issue "Jungle webbing" that literally slid off you when it was wet. Made of plastic with anti slip buckles....NOT.
Designed by a civvy in the UK somewhere.

44 Pattern was all we ever preferred, it was designed for the climate back in WW2 and did what it said on the box!
We ditched the Prismatic compasses as they filled with rain, and ALWAYS navigated on SILVA shop bought at De Borras in Aldershot in the day.........crazy !! Don't think we ever bothered with NVG's as we knew the issues.
No different to the 9 Frigates tied up in Portsmouth currently cos their engines overheat in Gulf temperatures exactly where they are needed now!!

My mates a wildlife documentary camera man Gil (a highly successful, well known chap these days), the equipment he took to the far East was state of the art professional (early 90's standards), designed for arctic to tropical use ... Failed after 3 days down in the Delta and only came back to life after being in an air-conditioned room for two days.

It was apparently unusually humid, even by their standards, my KSB boots fell apart after one week and the sleeves literally fell off my shirt as the stitching failed on our clothes.

Heat, humidity, giant cockroaches getting into everything,bitten from head to toe by insects, it has to be experienced to be believed.

I was a young man then, I couldn't tolerate it now, give me hot and cold running water and Aircon and a comfortable bed, any day.

[CINDERS]

Well you gotta thank and doff your hats for the PBI that stuck it out through the island campaigns & New Guinea in WWII and those that followed on that Asian sojourn in the 60's - 70's as they had no choice in the matter but to press on.

[mrclark303]

You're right there Ron. I read an account recently regarding the Australian troops fighting the Japanese in Papua New Guinea, now that really was a living hell.

So many men still lost there.

[Bindi2]

John,

No different to the 9 Frigates tied up in Portsmouth currently cos their engines overheat in Gulf temperatures exactly where they are needed now!!

Same as any vehicle which comes to Australia that has not had its cooling system changed for local conditions. We need cooling not warming.