Original Item: Only One Available. From the wonderful Telescope Collection we purchased last year in England this is a Classic Officer’s private purchase, top of the line three draw trench telescope. It is marked on the smallest barrel by the eyepiece with the maker and model information:
TEL: SIG: (Mk.II) also G.S.
BROADHURST. CLARKSON. & Co.
LONDON.
1916
6718
(Broad Arrow)
The first line indicates that this telescope is an official military pattern. By the middle of the war, they were producing MkIII Telescopes, so this is a fine early example. It is also marked on the inner barrel with the owners rank and name: 2nd Lt. F.L.P. SMITH. We were unfortunately not able to find any information on this particular soldier.
The telescope comes complete with a forward extending sun shade, giving it a length of 35 1/2″ when fully extended and only 11 1/4″ when fully closed/compressed. The sunshade is a bit stiff moving, and cannot be extended out all the way. The shade still has it’s leather covering, though the main barrel has lost the leather cover unfortunately. The optics appear clear and it has a sliding internal lens cover on the eye piece.
A Classic Officer’s Accessory from the Trench War on the Western Front.