WW2 Naval Rangefinder

[TooTallMike]

A friend has asked me to identify this item with a view to selling it.

 

It describes itself as a Waymouth-Ross Naval Rangefinder No. 90636

 

The front is fitted with series of concentric brass rings which can be moved and set relative to each other to establish your height or that of the enemy, and a focusing telescopic eyepiece with a 2-part prismic lens. When you turn the large brass wheel you move a ghost image relative to the full image until the two line up. This I presume is then the range. The dial for the operator's height goes up to 200' so I presume it's for shore-based (cliff-top) use rather than at sea. There is also a thumb operated lever on the rear which pushes up against a small brass sprung stopper the height of which is set via another thumbwheel on top.

 

There's a WD crow's-foot marking on the rear along with a hardwood handle and a mounting hole.

 

Can anyone shed any more light on this?

[fv1609]

 

There's a WD crow's-foot marking on the rear

 

The crow's foot or 'pheon' isn't necessarily a sign of it being military, it identifies Government property that is knickable. (This could be things that are of value or items that are useable in civilian life)

 

For instance the Hydrographic Office would mark their stuff with a pheon. If this was shore based then it could be HM Coastguard or Trinity House, I expect they would have used a pheon on their stuff as well. But it may well have been RN, but I would have expected the Pattern No. to have said Admiralty Pattern No.