New CEF artifact acquired, need a little help?

[browningautorifle]

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.

[Claven2]

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.

[Claven2]

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.




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.

[Claven2]

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.

[browningautorifle]

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...

[Bill Hollinger]

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

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