|
R.E.L. ( R esearch E nterprises L td 1945 WWII 7X50 Canadian manufactured British Military Binoculars C.G.B.40 M.A. |
|
My 1945 dated R.E.L. 7x50 C.G.B.40 M.A. military binoculars were produced by Research Enterprises Ltd., a Canadian war factory that existed from late 1940-1946, and which had been created by the Canadian Govt. National Research Council (NRC). The factory was located in what had formerly been the Leaside Aerodrome, near Toronto. R.E.L. produced around 25,000 of these 7x50 binoculars, which were used by Canada, the UK, and probably other commonwealth countries during WWII, and into the 1950’s. These particular binoculars are UK broad arrow War Dept military property marked, and also carry the red ’ W ” W aterproofed marking, and aso have the red painted screw heads indicating sealed/ removal by authorized repair personnel only. The R.E.L optics factory also produced 6x30 military binoculars, such as those below, and also produced several Canadian manufactured versions of the British #32 sniper scope used on the Lee Enfield #4 Mk1*T sniper rifles, as well as optical tank and artillery gunsights, and observer’s telescopes. R.E.L.’s electronics factory also produced a wide variety of radar systems, many of which were sold to the US. |
|
1916 WWI Carl Zeiss London British Military Binoculars 6x24 No.3 Mk II made in Zeiss UK factory. |
|
My Carl Zeiss London binoculars are a geopolitical binoculars paradox. They were produced in 1916 by the German Carl Zeiss Jena owned but British registered firm of Carl Zeiss London Ltd. (but which by 1916 had it’s German company directors forced out and replaced by British ones) at it’s Mill Hill London factory, fulfilling British Ministry of Defense govt. contracts, around two years after the UK had declared war on Germany on Aug. 4, 1914 (my grandmother’s brother enlisted in London that month) with those binoculars equipping UK troops fighting German troops. Zeiss London produced at least 923 of these binoculars in 1916. Slightly before the war had started, Carl Zeiss Jena ordered a stock of 700 binoculars from the London factory to be sent to Germany, but those shipments were blocked at British and Dutch ports, and the binoculars redirected to Woolrich arsenal in England. Actually the Carl Zeiss London factory had been producing British Military No 2 Mk I & Mk II and then No 3 Mk I and Mk II binoculars since 1909, when Carl Zeiss London Ltd. had been formed for that purpose. The British government subsequently forced the liquidation sale of the assets of Zeiss London Ltd. including the factory and all manufacturing equipment to the British Optics firm Ross Ltd. in January 1917, under the regulations of the January 1916 Trading With The Enemy (Amendment) Act for liquidating enemy owned property, with proceeds held in trust. Ross promptly continued to fill the Zeiss London Ltd. British Military contracts by producing around 50-75 binoculars per week, but with the subsequent binoculars branded as Ross. (information credit to Thomas Antoniades/ “ Carl Zeiss Presence in London”). See my Ross Mill Hill binoculars below. |
|
“Binocular Prismatic No 3 Mark II magnification 6, (serial) No 1504”. The Mk II designates having the range graticule defined on the right plate, but the ocular was replaced with one from a No 3 MK1 model minus graticule, probably at the time of military disposal as a form of “demilitarizing”. |
|
One broad arrow British Military property mark at upper left, and two facing broad arrow property disposal marks |
|
1916 WWI Carl Zeiss London British Military Binoculars No.3 Mk 1 |
|
1926 Carl Zeiss Nedinsco Gravenhage (Dutch Manufactured) Ej ército Argentino / Argentine Military contract Infanteria y Cabelleria (Infantry and Cavalry) binoculars |
|
Japanese External Reverse Porro Prism Binoculars. WEBSITE MUSEUM |
|
OTHER BINOCULARS #8 & OPTICAL SIGHTS (MOSTLY MILITARY) |
|
1960 Russian T3K 10x80 Flak and Observation Binoculars made by the Russian Novosibirsk Instrument Making Plant ( Новосибирский приборостроительный завод ), and Sold to the Iraq Army, and then Combat Damaged by Airburst Shrapnel in the Iraq War of 1992 |
|
The Novosibirsk factory logo incorporates two pentagons with hammer & sickle and uses “N” prefix on serial numbers |
|
Some of the ferrous airburst anti personnel shrapnel that peppered these binoculars is still embedded in the metal of the objective tubes. |
|
These Russian 10x80 flak or anti aircraft binoculars were modeled on similar WWII German flak binoculars, and these were designed to be tripod mounted. Like the German models, these were also sometimes used as ground emplacement observation binoculars. These were probably brought back to the United States as a war trophy souvenir by a US soldier, and to me these particular binoculars are more interesting for their war damage and for the graphic insight they provide into the role of optics at war that they provide. The right side optics on these have targeting circles, and the base and the elevating mechanism both have directional and elevation readouts, which in it’s original flak or anti aircraft or searchlight role gave fire control/ height burst or direction corrections. |
|
1948-1952 U.S. Occupation German 7x50 Binoculars Made Under Contract for Canadian Simpson’s Department Store Chain by Hartmann Optik (Porlerim Model) |
|
My Hartman-Optik 7x50 Porlerim binoculars are marked as having been made in the US Zone of Occupied Germany (1945-1952). Hartman was allowed to resume binocular production in post war Germany in 1948, and did so in 1948 with this Porlerim model line. These binoculars are marked as being made of the hard aluminum alloy “ LEIGHTMETALL ”. These binoculars also carry the stylized “ Simpson’s ” corporate logo of the Canadian Department store & mail order chain of Robert Simpson Ltd., which in 1952 had stores in Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Regina, and London (Ontario) Canada. So Hartmann Optik made these under contract for the Simpson’s store chain at some point between 1948-1952 |
|
R.E.L. ( R esearch E nterprises L td.) 1944 and 1945 WWII 6X30 Canadian Manufactured British Issued Military Marked Binoculars |
|
My 1944 and my 1945 dated Canadian manufactured R.E.L. 6x30 British military binoculars were produced by R.E.L. / Research Enterprises Ltd., and share history with the 1945 7x50 R.E.L. 7x50 binoculars above. They are British MOD broad arrow property marked, and the 1944 one was obtained in England. My 1944 binoculars SN 31418-C are marked C.G.B. 53 G.A. and my 1945 binoculars SN 66303-C are marked C.G.B. 37 M.A. and had a 1953 inspection tag. There is thinking that C.G.B. is “Contract Great Britain”, but per “Tales from the Supply Depot” it may be a commonwealth stores code, with G.A. meaning supplied with case. The 1945 example came with a Canada broad arrow 1943 dated case. R.E.L. appears to have made around 62,812 of these 6x30 binoculars. |
|
WWI 1914 Hungarian Zeiss Karoly Gy ö r M9/13 Z, K.U.K. Kaiserlich und Kongigliche Armee 6x 30 Austo Hungarian Army military binoculars made in the Zeiss Gy ö r Hungary factory. |
|
In 1911 the Carl Zeiss branch located in Vienna Austria established an assembly factory in Gyor Hungary, and in March 1914 it was incorporated as Zeiss Karoly R.T.(R é szv énytársasg/ public limited company). My Zeiss Karoly binoculars are marked 9/13 Z being a 1913 modification of the Zeiss 1909 model, and are marked 6 Facht , or 6 power. They are marked Feldstecher mit Skala (field glasses with scale, in German). My 7/31/1914 dated binoculars were made for the Austro Hungarian Army/ K.U.K./ Kaiserlich und Kongigliche Armee/ Imperial and Royal Army, contain a right side cross hair, and have the the UK (Ubernahme Kommison of the Artillery) acceptance mark with Austrian imperial crown. Info credit : Zeiss Historica, Vol 12 No 1. |
|
Zeiss U.S. Navy marked 8x Field Glasses US license made by Bausch & Lomb , patent date 1897 |
|
The German firm Carl Zeiss had licensed U. S. binocular maker Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. of Rochester NY to make their 1897 Abbe patent 8 power binoculars from around 1900 to 1920. Most were made for the civilian market, but my particular binoculars were marked as made under a U.S. Navy contract. Info credit per Smithsonian National Museum of American History Behring exhibit #1982-.0001.02 |
|
(outrageous) HONDA 50 cc “MONKEY” MOTORCYCLE MINI BIKE THAT I CREATED ?????? |
|
1912 Russian Zeiss St. Petersburg DF 8x24 Russian Army military binoculars with reticule grid made or assembled in the Carl Zeiss St. Petersburg Russia facility. |
|
1941 WWII SAFT Nife |