Binoculars standard issue in Sniper Chests ?

[tr63]

Need a little information for the items found in the transit chest for the No.4 Mk,1 and the L42a1 . I have a 6X30 binocular that was said to have been found in a No.4 Mk.1 T transit chest . The binocular is marked on the right side with the British crows foot, C.B. 53' GA. 6x30 serial# 23976-C . On the right side it has GRATICULE 1/2 o A PART & 1/4 o & 1o High REL/CANADA 1943 . Were the transit chests normally found with a pair of binoculars ?

Information

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[Mk VII]

as War Office Controlled Stores, binoculars would be issued and signed for separately.

[Peter Laidler]

There is an article about the why's and wherefores regarding the binos as part of the No4T kit somewhere on the forum. They were a supplementary issue along with other items BUT the issue of a No4T to a unit would automatically trigger the issue of the supplementary issues

[tr63]

Peter Very happy to hear from you . Where there any manfacturers of binoculars used besides the ones listed in your ( looking To complete Your No.4 or L42 CES ) ? Were binoculars made in Canada REL ever used ?

[Peter Laidler]

I saw REL No2 Binos used until the 80's. They were declared obsolescent in the 50's but were used until they became non-maintainable. They they were chopped and a pair of the regular THC or Kershaws were issued. We also had some US lend lease 6x 30's that were marked stereoscopic prism co (were they Bausch and Lomb? anyone.....?) but never saw them after the 60's. The old No2 binos only finally trickled out of service in 2012 or so for some cheap and cheerful off the shelf ones. The rubber armoured L11 and L12 types are still struggling on - but what a maintenance nightmare they are for collimation................ KISS I say.

[Gil Boyd]

Peter,
Would it have been Bausch & Lomb 7 x 50's or the Anchor Optical at that time?

[harry mac]

as War Office Controlled Stores, binoculars would be issued and signed for separately.

Yep. Different shelf in a separate store room.

[bigduke6]

(were they Bausch and Lomb? anyone.....?) b

Yep.... 6x30, I had some pics somewhere of some, the ones you mention Gil were issued to the Navy IIRC, nice binoculars.

[Surpmil]

The REL binos were made in Canada and as part of larger supply agreements were supplied to the UK, it used to be mooted that "C.G.B." stood for "Contract Great Britain" but I believe that has been contradicted now. Perhaps "Canadian Government....", or "...... Binocular"?

They're a pretty decent binocular for that time, a bit heavy at 705g for a 1942 pair I have here, versus 502g for a Zeiss Deltrentis 8x30, which is a markedly better glass of course, but very robust. Still better than anything else made on our side in WWII of the same size.

Research Enterprises Ltd. went from an empty lot to making dozens of different instruments in less than a year. 7500 employees by war's end and a vast range of electro-mechanical-optical equipment of high quality. And all made more or less at cost I understand as the corporation was government owned, but without the usual attitude problems associated with that - there was a war on after all.

[Peter Laidler]

The Bausch and Lomb as I recall were more prone to fogging up than the standard UK and REL types. That was because (and this is all from memory now.....) they were collimated using prism screws instead of eccentric OG lens carriers which meant 8(?) grub screw points that had to be sealed with a stuff called LUTING - or LOOTING! And just a tweak too hard with the screw against the internal (was is brass?) prism carrier and the lens might/probably would crack. They weren't alone here. Some artillery spotters and levels also had the same adjustments for levels.

Prism collimation was also a bugger of a job without a fixed collimator and impossible by eye. I won't go into why but........