can you help me identify these binoculars ?

johnson1

Hi Guys

My mother has some binoculars given to her by an uncle (recently deceased) so she has asked me to find out about where they come form and what era, I've been looking online and there are so many of varying time and use i don't know what to make of it all. So I thought i'd ask those who would know better. Her uncle was english and would have been old enough to serve in ww2 but for all i know he bought them somewhere. So i've attached some pics if anyone could shed any light as to what they were used for and when or by whom that would be great. On one side it says "model" and on the other it says "war office". on the top it says "made in france". There are initials burnt in to the bottom C.L.T. i don't know if this would have been the owners initials or if they are military initials.
Thanks guys.

sorry if the pics are too big

Dr Strange

Hi johnson1, thanks for posting. The three letters branded into the leather could be the initials of the owner.

As for the other markings, could you post some pictures of each marking/inscription?

Maybe that would help.

johnson1

Hi Preusse

My camera is fairly crap so it's hard to make out the writing. but on the left is model and the right is war office.

Thanks

arnhem44

They look WW1 vintage,is there any magnification markings?,this could help to find out if they were for Army or Naval use.

johnson1

I've had a good look and there aren't any other markings. I noticed the ends you look into screw off if that means anything ?

arnhem44

Still not able to help but had a look online and came up with this interesting article refering to shortages within the British Army during WW1,Germany had been one of the main suppliers before the war and Britain then relied on France for optical equipment through out the war.I still think myself that they are WW1 vintage.

http://home.europa.com/~telscope/glass-ss.txt

SpitfireIV

Yes they are certainly of WW1 vintage, they are known as galilean (spelling?) binoculars, ie straight through lenses, no prisms, thus the field of view is very limited. As Arnhem has pointed out a lot of these bino's were made in France during the war for the British goverment. Sometimes Officers had to buy there own binoculars, private purchases, after buying them they could claim back the money, in which case the binoculars and case would be marked with a broad arrow and become goverment property. I have a set very similar to these that were made in 1916 and have no manufactures markings, its not uncommon to see these bino's with little or no makers marking.