Some British hand held binoculars.

Below some British Navy binoculars by the now no ,longer with us company of Barr and Stroud of Glasgow.
The Company had a major works complex in Anniesland Glasgow producing high quality optical instruments for the Royal Navy and Armed forces.
The company ceased to exist in the mid 1970's being taken over by Pinkertons , the site of this great optical firm is now a Tescos car park, something I find really sad to be honest.

What you see here are three of the much used - the standard hand held and bearing mounted bincoulars manufactured for the Royal Navy.
The CF41 model 7x50 , the CF42 and the CF25 which was used by the Fleet Air Arm.

Most photos you see from 39-45 and you will find it is Barr and Stroud that you will see.

Next time you are looking at "A Bridge Too Far" - take heart the brave SS officer and Ritterkreuztager about to storm Arnhem Bridge has not a set of Zeiss around his neck but a set of British Barr and Stroud .






The CF25 is smaller and is 7x42 in size / magnification a downsized CF41 - very neat in the hands and a really good binocular , I mean really good .
It gives 127 yds at a 1000 yds. circa 1949.

The CF 41 / 42 gives 121 yds at 1000 yds , they date from 1935/36.
This set was still in use in the 1970's and some went to war in the Falklands in 1982.

The sets have one major weakness the Canadian balsam cement always "goes" and chances are any wartime set you buy will have to have the prisms recemented, for an expert not a hard job.
Cleaned and serviced you could buy a set for as little as £40-45 and have them serviced and fullty restored for another £40.
What price a piece of naval history ?









The naval rating who spotted Bismarck and Prinz Eugen as they moved into the Denmark Strait - on his bearing indicator a set of CF42 by Barr and Stroud.
the set has two small chains on the prism housings inlet and outlet ports to allow the set to be pourged with nitrogen to remove moisture.
The face of the prism housings show the fliter selector knobs , amber green and blue if memory serves me right. ( I will look later on and correct this if necessary).

The extending antispary shades , not always present they twist and pull out and push and twist back , all very 1930's looking .
The set balances very well but lacks the sharpenes of Zeiss which is a better binocular - having said that it is certainbly as good as any leitz set and I would say better.

The yellow crows foot , a sign that they are Admiralty issue. In the 1930's the navy found that they were "missing sets" to such an extent that they had to be "signed in and out".

The CF42 has a rangeing scale in it and came in a wooden transit case , the rubber browpad is charcteristic of the set.






This item is a GK7 gunnery director binocular - it is alluminium (objective and prism housings) the rest is solid brass and if you drop it on your toe you will know about it.

6x 42 internal filters and metal quicksight it has two graticules in its right ouclar housing which allow for a bearing to be taken on a target.
The set can like the others be nitrogen purged.
It comes in the large wooden transit case shown above.

 

This is a rather rare creature a set of 7x50 naval bins. by the canadian company BOP. This company was set up to produce binoculars for "hostilities only" and closed as soon as the war was over.

The set is very heavy similar in weight to the 8x60 - 5-6 lb, very solid.
The four colour internal fliters operating on the ocular side of the prism housing , 7x50 in size this set - if anyone can produce a photo of it in use I would be delighted.
So far I have seen four in about eight years and I have owned two of them.

Again this set can be purged with nitrogen .

 

In the back ground a set of Ross Tropical , waterproof naval bincoulars.
This set went through the Danish Navy probably in the post war years.

Against the wooden case the BOP set mentioned above , standing beside it a set of SARD ( Amerianc) 7x50 Aero , issued to the USn navy - a narrow FOV , amber filters built into the eye cups.
Not a favorite of mine to be honest .

In front a set of B&Lomb 7x50 Amerian navy with the clip on filters , a very , very good set which compares favourably with most WW2 sets.
Comfortable to use , good quality lens , bult by the cart load and still going strong today.

Behind it a REL 7x50 basically a B&L built under agreement - excellent binocular, this one was never issued for use and is as good as the day she was made , no wear of any kind.
The red screws , again ports which allow her to be purged.

 

The set of Ross Tropical a 7x40 , really excellent wide angle binocular - really solid well built and easy to live with.

On the right the Ross No5. issued to both the Army and Navy it saw extensive use in WW2 and post war - I have seen several photos of the set in use in German hands in Normandy.
Good solid no nonesense , crude compared to the Greman sets but cheaper to build and built by the cartload - very easy to obtain today and all in all not a bad buy.

In the back on the left a Ross No.6 An Army issue binocular which was obselete even as it was issued, 6x24 - hopelessly small a dinky set .

On the left an RAF No.4 - a fixed focus 5x40 of outstanding quality - excellent wee set , it cmae in a stiff card box which was felt lined, rubber brow pad for use at night - a very good tool to have.

 

I have a set of CR 25's that I recently had refurbished. They are an outstanding pair of binoculars that I use on a regular basis.

 

I must admit put me at an airshow or such like and I will spend as much time looking at whct folks have in their hands / around their necks.
Completely agree David , the 25 is a really good item , I saw one sell last night on eBay for £45 which is a gift in terms of what you are getting for the money.

 

James S wrote

"Completely agree David , the 25 is a really good item , I saw one sell last night on eBay for £45 which is a gift in terms of what you are getting for the money."

Mine came from a Fleet Air Arm Officer named Colin Tipler who was in the F.A.A. during the war. Tipler was a friend of my Dad's and they swapped them for something or another. My pair does not have the yellow arrows on them. They have been in my family as long as I can remember and on my father's passing they came to me. That is when I had them refurbished.

Like you James I am amazed at how cheaply they go on e bay. I have them on an e bay "favorites search." What I am actually after is the leather carrying case as mine is somewhat worn. I saw a case on e bay recently but it went for ridiculous price, more than a pair of binoculars would go for, so if you come across a leather case please let me know.

 

Will do david , I recently saw someone pay over £100 for a good case for a CF41 set which amazed me to no end.

I have a several civilian sets from B&S which really do take some beating , they are simply excellent.

A good book which can be had from "Quicktest" is "We are Ceratinly not Afraid of Zeiss" which tells the history of Barr and Stroud and their binoculars.
It is very good reading and traces the products and the ups and dopwns of the firm including how they were nobbled by price fixing and dirty deeds when they attempted to break into the American market.

 

I have a a set of 7x CF41's in its original Leather Case (and has Yellow Crowsfeet). I havent yet decided which relative they belonged to. They came from my Great Uncles things after he died (he was a Royal Marine) but his brother was on Mine Sweepers. Well i will get a picture if anyone is interested to see them?

Donnie

 

Would not mind a look

 

Rather than start another thread.
A decive for viewing air recon photos, a steroscope by Fairchild.
Works fine the binocular and the mirrors built into the side panels produce a 3xD view of the ground.
With its box could you say no to it for 35 Euros at a stall in Normandy ?





Below part of a similar German system , unfortunately no mounting frame.
I saw one for sale in the US but the guy would not post it abroad (unfortunately).



The locking mechanism on the box is typically German .





The objectives are massive.



The AA battery and the £1 coin give scale.

 

No illumination , just as you see.
It was sinking dirty inside and a friend of mine ( who recently moved back to England) cleaned it out for me.

Could I ask what make / nationality the ones you have are ?
Difference in magnification , complexity of build ?

 

I have a a set of 7x CF41's in its original Leather Case (and has Yellow Crowsfeet). I havent yet decided which relative they belonged to. They came from my Great Uncles things after he died (he was a Royal Marine) but his brother was on Mine Sweepers. Well i will get a picture if anyone is interested to see them?

Donnie

Don't hesitate in make various photos and share with us, dear Donnie!




Jan.

 

Rather than start another thread.
A decive for viewing air recon photos, a steroscope by Fairchild.
Works fine the binocular and the mirrors built into the side panels produce a 3xD view of the ground.
With its box could you say no to it for 35 Euros at a stall in Normandy ?


If you wish see more pairs of stereoscopic images, look or print any of these.....http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchresult.cfm?keyword=stereoscopic and enjoy !.





Jan.

 

Cheers jan.

 

O.K. Here are pictures of my pair of Barr & Stroud binoculars. Apologies for the quality of the pictures, I only have a small pocket size digital camera.

 

More pictures.