Borderlord Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 I found this at the weekend in an old house in County Donegal and was wondering if it would be possible to get an instruction manual for it...it's dated 1942. Or does anyone on the boards know anything about how this operates. It's in fairly good condition but operating the controls that are on it doesn't really do anything. Many thanks Jimmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 OOH nice find! An optical range finder works on two basic pricipals, one brings an image into focus and gives range, the other , one is a steroscpic range finder. You should see an image in each eyepice, then adjust the lenses till image coincides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarland Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 Any makers mark etc. on it? The manufacturer and the Type/model number will narrow down the hunt for documentation. This reprint of the 1914 Artillery Instruments handbook might provide some clues as covers a number of different makers and includes their respective internal arrangement of the coincident type optics https://www.naval-military-press.com/product/handbook-of-artillery-instruments-1914/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarland Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 A quick search online turned up this: http://www.bamfords-auctioneers.co.uk/archive/ThreeDay-Fine-Art-and-Antique-Auction--September-2011/lot-1374/ "Anti-Aircraft Binocular Gunsight Telescope, prismatic sighting" Picture of it in use Not a rangefinder 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borderlord Posted August 23, 2018 Author Share Posted August 23, 2018 (edited) These are the markings...………. Forgot to say Thank You Tarland…… Edited August 23, 2018 by Borderlord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatchFuzee Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 More information here:- http://www.rjmilitaria.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1554 The Australian War Museum holds copies of the manual:- https://www.awm.gov.au/index.php/collection/LIB28775 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarland Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 A search for "CT&S Telescope" turned up this: http://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/collections/imu-search-page/record-details/?TitInventoryNo=86327&querytype=field&thumbnails=on I'm not sure theres much to find in the manual. Appears to be dual wide field low power and narrow field high power telescope. Its not an optical illusion the two objective lenses are different sizes. The sighting bars obviously allow coarse aiming of the instrument (thats what the ATS girl on the right of the photo is doing). The respective scales give bearing and elevation but only relative to the instrument. Focusing seems to be on the diopter eyepieces. Looks like its on the correct tripod as well so as Tony B says a nice find. The ATS girls appear to be on a HAA gunsite - sequence of photos here including height/rangefinder and Kerrison predictor: http://ww2today.com/27th-december-1942-the-life-of-an-ats-ack-ack-girl 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatchFuzee Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 A short wartime film on Cooke Troughton & Simms, with military production figures at the end of the film:- https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-cooke-troughton-simms-in-wartime-1939-1945-1939-online Grace's Guide to British Industrial History (with links to T Cooke & Sons and Troughton & Sims):- https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Cooke,_Troughton_and_Simms 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 That film adds a whole new dimesion to the sight. Treat with care a lot of work went into it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarland Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 About 4 minutes in, the casting that is being made is the main body of the telescope... Also stills/production figures of the number produced at the end 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borderlord Posted August 24, 2018 Author Share Posted August 24, 2018 There is no doubt about it an awful lot of care went in to the making of this instrument. I will look after it for sure. It sits in my front porch now . Many many thanks for all the info....very much appreciated. The film is excellent and I do indeed recognise some of the components being manufactured. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 Worth downloading to keep with the instrument for the future. , you are only the current gaurdian, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.