Here we have a Type P8 compass used mostly in the Spitfire this one has been stripped back to its brass and polished in good original condition and still contains its fluid. A really nice example of the wartime compass fitted to all Marks of Spitfire. It cannot be under estimated how much work it is to strip and polish this but certainly many hours of work.

6A/1672

Click on pictures to enlarge

Out of stock more wanted please contact me

Here we have a type P10 compass used in the Lancaster and Halifax heavy bombers. The top is missing some bolts and is loose.

No: 2680T

6B/1671

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Here we have a nice example of a stop watch issued to RAF navigators. In good working order. Used by navigators to time course changes .

Dated 1944

6B/117

6B= Aircraft navigation equipment.

Click on pictures to enlarge

Out of stock more wanted please contact me

Here we have a Type P8 M Compass. Used in fighters, most commonly found in the Spitfire.

The compass has had some heavy use and has some paint loss and no fluid. It is also missing one lug and a wire. The bezzel is cracked, as shown in photo.

6A/726

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This is a rare peace from WWII. A first model pilots or observers compass that could be worn on the leg or arm. It is complete with its original strap. It also retains its original fluid.

Manufactured by Kadlec Instrumenten Fabrik Parc.

ID No: 48292

FL 23235

Click on pictures to enlarge

Out of stock more wanted please contact me

STOWA German WWII Pilot Watch F1 23883 (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 78)

Here we have a rare 20 jewel, WWII Stowa Luftwaffe pilot watch.

Stowa watches that began in 1927. This watch was made in Pforzheim, Germany.

In working condition.

The back can be popped off.

These watches are oversized and known for their incredible built quality and reliability despite spending the last 40 years in a drawer it still works.

6378

F1 23883

H1177B

D344

HB94650

Click on pictures to enlarge

Out of stock more wanted please contact me

8 Day Clock Dated 1941 (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 77)

Here we have an 8 day clock.

It is in working condition, but has lost 3 hours in 48 hours running so far.

Air Ministry marked

We can just make out the numbers on the face:

31814/41

Click on pictures to enlarge

Elgin Pocket Watch 1943 (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 76)

Here we have a size 16s, model no. 7, nine jewel, grade 594, Elgin pocket watch by the Elgin National Watch Company USA, dated 1943.

Not in working condition.

Both the front and the back screw off. It as 3/4 plate and a going barrel.

 Its movement configuration is open face, setting is wind and set, and it had a matte nickel finish.

CW 380

A 96561

Serial No: 41294294

58239

Click on pictures to enlarge

Type P11 Compass  (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 75)

Here we have a beautiful, boxed P11 compass used mainly in the Hawker Hurricane

6B/1672

Ref No: 59085

HBS/P/7/50

Click on pictures to enlarge

Out of stock more wanted contact me

Here is master compass from a Lancaster probably also used in the Halifax and other large wartime RAF aircraft.. It has some paint loss but is complete with its internals and mounting bracket.

The master compass holds the magnetic element, the gyroscope, the monitoring and follow-up mechanism and the transmitter for operating the repeaters. The complete assembly is suspended in gimbals.
The system uses an electric magnetic inductor element fixed to the aircraft in azimuth which detects the direction of the Earth’s magnetic field relative to the aircraft and transmits this information electrically to the gyro element.
The D.R. Compass was developed by the Automatic Telephone and Electric Company and the Royal Aircraft Establishment from a model originally produced by the Air Ministry and S.G. Brown Ltd in 1934.
Some 30,000 of these instruments were made at the A.T.& E. Strowger Works in Liverpool during the WWII years.

One part of one of the gimbals is broken, please see photograph bottom left.

Dated 1943 6A/741

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

£895

Out of stock more wanted please contact me

This is a super rare peace from WWI and the infancy of Military aircraft a Pilots or observers compass that could be worn on the leg or arm it is complete with its original strap and magnifying prism. It retains its original fluid and works as it should. used by the RFC (Royal Flying Corp) and the RNAS (Royal Naval air service)

Shown above the Sopwith Camel this aircraft was highly manoeuvrable and popular with its pilots although the combination of the short-coupled aircraft and the rotary engine produced some handling quirks that could catch out inexperienced pilots. The Sopwith Camel proved to be very successful in dogfights and  achieved more victories in combat than any other aircraft during the First World War.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

 £275

This is a Type D -12 USAAF compass used in a variety of Wartime aircraft including Heavy Bombers  B17, B 24, B 29, Medium Bombers  B25, B26  and transport aircraft including the C 46, C 47, and the C 54. In nice original condition.

Seen above the iconic B17 Bomber

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

This type of compass was used on practically all German aircraft, such as the BF109, FW190, Me262, Ju88, Ju87, Me-110, and others.

This was the main master compass used by German aircraft.

It was usually positioned in the rear fuselage of the aircraft, and sent a signal to the smaller, "Fuhrertochterkompass", which was located on the pilot's control panel.

These two instruments would work together to indicate the aircraft's heading to the pilot. It was used on almost all Fighters, Bombers, and Jets.

Please enlarge the pictures for condition most likely this was recovered from a crashed aircraft there is a small crack in one of the brackets and it has that feel to it..

 £795

The is a really early November 1936 Luftwaffe Kompass. Its in very nice original condition the oil is quite dark but every one of this and similar types is also dark so its possible it was designed to be illuminated ? I do not know what aircraft this was fitted to but clearly something available in 1936.

Type Z 10

FL 23230

Click on the picture's to enlarge.

 £225

Out of stock more wanted please contact me

This is a Type E2 B compass used in early Jets  the Vampire, Meteor and the turbo prop Westland Wyvern along with many other RAF aircraft as a back up compass. The E2 B is internally lit . This one is in very good condition in its original transit case and connecting wire for the light.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

      Shown above centre in situ in a Westland Wyvern .

After carrier trials which started on the 21^st June 1950 the Wyvern entered service with the Fleet Air Arm from May 1953 and were withdrawn from service by 1958.  While in service Wyverns equipped 813 Naval Air Squadron, 827 Squadron, 830 Squadron, and 831 Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm.  Squadron 813 was the last Wyvern squadron to disband on the 22^nd April 1958.

From September 1954, during 813’s first tour of duty with Wyverns in the Mediterranean on board HMS Albion, many Wyverns suffered (some were lost off the bows) from flameout during catapult launches due to fuel starvation from the high G forces involved on lunching.  The problem was not fixed until March 1955 and it resulted in the tour being cut short when 813 was left off at Malta due to the high operational losses.  In fact, Lt. B. D. Macfarlane made history when he successfully ejected under water after his Wyvern had ditched on launch and been cut in two by the carrier (thanks John for your “comic” memories).

Wyverns saw active service in Operation Musketeer with 830 Squadron, operating from HMS Eagle, during the 1956 Suez Crisis.  They mounted the first attack on the 1^st November 1956 by attacking Egyptian airfields near the canal. A total of 79 sorties were flown by the 6^th November when the operation was called off.  Two Wyverns were lost, at least one to ground fire.

As the largest prop-driven single-seat airplane to go aboard Royal Navy carriers the Wyvern was not easy to fly. 33 Wyverns were lost to all causes during its four year operational career.  Its range was so limited that it needed a large centreline fuel tank in addition to the wing tanks, which meant it could not carry a torpedo, and when it was carrying enough fuel to have an adequate range; it could not get off a carrier deck even with a catapult while carrying its maximum ordnance load.  The Wyvern never lived up to the potential expected of it and all of the airframes, except VR137, were melted into scrap during 1959.  However, the Wyvern holds the distinction of being the only Royal Navy turboprop-powered aircraft to see combat.

This is a ground position indicator MK I  in nice original condition as fitted to many of the RAF's heavy Bombers including the Lancaster.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

This does what it says on the box it is an instrument that determines and displays automatically the DR (dead reckoning) position of an aircraft. It gets its data from an ASI (air speed indicator) and a compass.  Seen below fitted in a Lancaster.

Out of stock more wanted please contact me

£295

Here is a nice example of the Type 12D Compass used in both the B17 Flying fortress and B24 Liberator . Its in good condition with its mounting lugs and compass corrector. There is no longer any fluid having evaporated over the years but still functions as it should.

Click on the picture's to enlarge them.

Here we have a  Type P8 M Compass. Used in fighters most commonly found in the Spitfire this comes with a compass tray for mounting in the aircraft and a compass correction.

The tray is not for the Spitfire and so far have been unable to identify the aircraft type it belongs to. 

The compass has had some heavy use and has some paint loss and no fluid.

6A/1248 Type 06A No 40973 H

 Astro Compass (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 64A)

Here we have a really nice boxed Astro compass used by the navigators of heavy aircraft to navigate using the stars , they took shots through the astrodome of the aircraft to plot their coarse. The Astrodome see below in a Halifax heavy Bomber.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them

 £265

Type 06A hand held compass (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 63A)

Here we have a Type 06A compass used in heavy WWII RAF bombers. The type 06A was used in circumstances where the fixed type could not conveniently be accessed. Being a handheld version the type 06A was illuminated by a battery powered lamp in the handle. Very nice condition and in original box.

6A/1248          No 40973 H

Click on the pictures to enlarge them

£195

MK III Smiths 8 day clock dated 1938  (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 62D)

Out of stock more wanted please contact me

P4 Heavy Bomber compass  (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 61)

Here we have a P4 compass as used in the Lancaster and other heavy WWII RAF bombers.

 Although similar in appearance these are approximately 20% larger than the P8 fighter type.

This one has had its paint removed to expose the brass . Unfortunately it no longer has its fluid but still works as it should.

6A/1671

Click on the pictures to enlarge them

£295

Repeater Compass (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 54A)

Ref: 6A/742  Dated 1944

Seen in situ in a Lancaster below.

Here is a repeater compass in really nice original condition.

 Fitted commonly to Lancaster's although this was used long before Lancaster's became operational and fitted to other long range aircraft including the Sunderland, Halifax and Wellington Bomber.. 

The Distant Reading Compass was standard equipment in most multi-engine aircraft in the RAF throughout World War II until it was replaced by the Sperry ‘Gyrosyn’ compass.

 It consists of a master unit containing both the gyro and magnetic elements normally stowed in a part of the aircraft away from large masses of magnetic material which would distort the Earth’s magnetic field.

This master unit feeds, through an electrical transmission system, repeater compass cards on the pilot’s and navigator’s panels and wherever heading indications are required. The complete compass system operates from the aircraft 24 V DC supply.

 The pilot or navigator has control switches for starting and stopping the master unit and a variation setting corrector control to adjust the repeaters to read true instead of magnetic heading. A complete system comprises a master unit, variation setting corrector, a control switch box and a number of repeaters.

The master unit holds the magnetic element, the gyroscope, the monitoring and follow-up mechanism and the transmitter for operating the repeaters. The complete assembly is suspended in gimbals.

The system uses an electric magnetic inductor element fixed to the aircraft in azimuth which detects the direction of the Earth’s magnetic field relative to the aircraft and transmits this information electrically to the gyro element.

£150

£995

This a superb example of a wartime Luftwaffe clock in complete and fully working condition.

 I have run it for 24 hours and it keeps perfect time.

 Its the best example of this kind of clock I have seen and extremely rare to find one in working condition. This was a generic peace and used in a multitude of German wartime aircraft.

Click on the picture's to enlarge them.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them

Omega weems

FAB Suise

Battle of Britain Omega Weems Watch 6B/159 (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 1A)

Worn by RAF Battle of Britain Pilots and Navigators

This one off batch of 2000 being shipped from Omega to Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Jewelers to the Queen on the 5th of January 1940 in time for the Battle of Britain. Once checked they were then issued to the Air ministry and distributed to the Pilots and navigators of the RAF Operational Squadrons. Its was originally purchased some thirty plus years ago from a Scout Jumble sale in Biggin Hill.  Biggin Hill was one of the most famous  RAF Fighter Station's of WWII and Battle of Britain history and so it can be assumed it belonged to one of the fighter pilots who operated there. This piece is particularly rare having a red colored second hand. The Weems Omega was recently seen being worn in the film about Dunkirk, the Spitfire Pilot played by "Tom Hardy" used the watch to calculate His remaining fuel.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them

 Omegas were not  supplied to the Air Ministry again in this design, similar watches in the same style were supplied by Longines and Movado at approximately half the cost of the one with the Omega movement and although not plentiful are allot more common than the Omega.

 Omega do not have one in their museum.

This watch has not been restored and is original in every respect. The locking knob for the bezel has been removed at some stage probably because it was not needed when worn as a normal watch and gets in the way of the winding and time setting knob. The movement has been inspected by a watch maker and the movement is in good condition. Its a great shame that the locking knob has been removed but the bezel still rotates and the internal shaft appears to still be in place. I have taken advice from an expert in these watches who thinks the retail value of a complete piece is around 7 to 9 K GBP but with so few examples to ga7ge its value is hard to establish, one thing is for sure it can only appreciate in value over time. My price should allow for this watch to be restored to its original specification.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

The master compass holds the magnetic element, the gyroscope, the monitoring and follow-up mechanism and the transmitter for operating the repeaters. The complete assembly is suspended in gimbals.
The system uses an electric magnetic inductor element fixed to the aircraft in azimuth which detects the direction of the Earth’s magnetic field relative to the aircraft and transmits this information electrically to the gyro element.
The D.R. Compass was developed by the Automatic Telephone and Electric Company and the Royal Aircraft Establishment from a model originally produced by the Air Ministry and S.G. Brown Ltd in 1934.
Some 30,000 of these instruments were made at the A.T.& E. Strowger Works in Liverpool during the WWII years.

This piece is big and heavy overseas buyers please contact me for a shipping quote.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Out of stock more wanted please contact me

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

£225

Original Boxed WWI RFC MK II 259 Compass (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 4)

This compass is a superb and extremely rare piece complete in its original box which carries the same serial number as the compass. This is the aircraft version of the  Mk II 259 Compass.

It is in stunning condition and works perfectly in addition it still has its original light fitting with original wire attached. It has the majority of its original paint and fluid everything about this compass is A1.

The MK II 259 compass was used in a wide variety of WWI RFC aircraft including the Sopwith Camel shown under

Under seen in situ in a Camel cockpit

£3250

The translation of the plate is roughly as follows:
"Compass (-best quality?)
Number 9918
Date Aug 1940"
Thank you to William for translating this for me

Superb example of a Japanese wartime compass used in a wide variety of the their aircraft during WWII. Japanese instruments are the most difficult to find and rarest of all the combatants of WWII. This is the first Japanese made instrument to appear on this site since it was created. In excellent condition it still retains its fluid.

Under are a couple examples of the aircraft it was fitted to although I understand it was fitted to at least six or seven aircraft types.

Compass shown mounted on top of the panel of a Mitsubishi Ki-57 Topsy

Seen mounted middle left in the panel of a  Koken Long Range Mono-Plane

£899

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Here is another Japanese compass although not in quite good condition.

The ring inside is there but the fluid has become cloudy and the base is missing. The paint has rubbed off to expose a solid brass case.

 This is unusual in that it was found in Holland probably brought back as a war souvenir from a crashed aircraft which would explain the condition and the missing base.

Its the same design as the one shown above

£495

Here we have an Astro compass MK II complete in its original box with some paperwork it is in good complete condition please enlarge the pictures.

 Astro Compasses were used during the Second World War by pilots and navigators to calculate true North and heading by the sun or stars.

Astro compasses of this  type were used onboard larger  Allied aircraft such as the Avro Lancaster.

The navigator used this instrument by sighting through the Astrodome fitted to the larger aircraft specifically for this purpose.

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Shown above the astrodome on a Lancaster this was above the navigators position and covered by a screen to prevent light from the Bomber escaping when not in use.

£275

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This is a hand held compass used for taking a bearing in wartime aircraft when the fixed type compass was faulty or difficult to read. They are illuminated and batteries are located in the stalk. This compass is solid brass and in good used condition.. I have not tested it so sold as a collectable.

New old stock original large card holders, I have not seen these before and assume they are used for the larger compass correction cards.

 Click on pictures to enlarge

COMPASS CARD holder for the Spitfire Main panel. This is the bit that's everybody's missing. These are totally original new old stock fitted to nearly every type of wartime RAF aircraft.

Used compass correction cards with named aircraft. these cards are larger than the ones I have seen before measuring 105mm square. Each one comes from a named aircraft with its serial number. please click on the pictures to enlarge them. They are dated from 1950 to 1960.

Once you have ordered please email using this link stating which card or cards you want using the aircraft serial number and type.

Here is a nice original watch holder as fitted to the main instrument panel of Lancasters and other RAF Wartime aircraft in good original condition.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

This is a stunning bomb aimers stop watch used for timing the bomb run. It works perfectly , it is dated 1940 so so probably used in the early raids using Wellingtons and Hamptons.

6B/117

Out of stock more required please contact me

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Here is a P11 compass in really nice condition , its mounted in a beautifully made and lined wooden box on a gimble the exterior case has been removed. Probably used in someone's boat.

Type P.11

£175

A band of American flyers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle dared the impossible by flying their B-25 medium bombers from the deck of the USS Hornet to avenge the attack on Pearl Harbour by bombing selected cities on the Japanese home islands.

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 Found in most C-47, C-46, B-25 and PV-2s, used in conjunction with the model A3 autopilot.

Seen in situ above in a B25.

£95

Out of Stock More Wanted Contact Us

API is an air position indicator.  You set the North and East as the aircraft’s initial position or from a fix point.  The True Course is the aircrafts magnetic heading offset using the VSC – variation setting control – to get a True Heading or True Course.  A feed is the aircraft’s airspeed corrected for temperature and height.  This then gives a position of where the aircraft would be assuming no wind.  As there is usually wind the position is its air position. Comparing the given air position with an updated fix we can calculate the wind over the previous period.

£225

API is an air position indicator.  You set the North and East as the aircraft’s initial position or from a fix point.  The True Course is the aircrafts magnetic heading offset using the VSC – variation setting control – to get a True Heading or True Course.  A feed is the aircraft’s airspeed corrected for temperature and height.  This then gives a position of where the aircraft would be assuming no wind.  As there is usually wind the position is its air position. Comparing the given air position with an updated fix we can calculate the wind over the previous period.

Out of stock more required please contact me

This is a ground position indicator MK I  in nice original condition as fitted to many of the RAF's heavy Bombers including the Lancaster.

Click on the picture's to enlarge.

This does what it says on the box it is an instrument that determines and displays automatically the DR (dead reckoning) position of an aircraft. It gets its data from an ASI (air speed indicator) and a compass. 

Seen below fitted in a Lancaster.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them

Click on the pictures to enlarge them

News Chronicle Enterprise Dinghy Cross channel race Calais to Dover P8 Compass (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 16)

This is an interesting piece a P8 Compass most commonly fitted to Spitfires this one was presented as 1st Price to the winning boat of the News Chronicle Cross channel race Calais to Dover June 30th 1956. I found the following information however there is a discrepancy in the date which the article possibly got wrong as January does not seem a suitable time to hold a cross channel race in a small Dingy.

The beach at Dover during the small hours of a January morning with a full Force Four blowing is hardly conducive to the idea of dinghy sailing, but at 3.28am on 9 January, 1956 two Enterprise dinghies left Dover to make a cold night crossing of the English Channel to Calais, in one of sailing’s great, largely forgotten, small-boat voyages. The boats, known simply as Enterprise 1 and Enterprise 2, were crewed by Bruce Banks with wife Rosemary, and Bobbie Prenger and Flavia Nunes. 

The publicity stunt made quite an impact not just because of the feat of sailing a small Dinghy across the Channel, but because the Enterprise class had been commissioned as an affordable “Everyman” dinghy from designer Jack Holt just a year before by The News Chronicle, who covered the Channel escapade in full. 

On 9 January, the crews pushed off from Dover beach and planed most of the way to Calais in the lively conditions, experiencing thick fog at the French end. They had to delay their entry into Calais for this photo to be taken by an aeroplane chartered by The Chronicle, a photo that would appear on the news that night and in papers all over Britain the next day. They eventually arrived at 10.10am. 

This was the era when newspapers would get behind sailing in a big way: in 1962, Holt would collaborate with the Mirror to design one of the most successful dinghies of all time, the eponymous Mirror, and later that decade, the Sunday Times sponsored the first round-the-world-solo-nonstop yacht race (the Golden Globe). The Enterprise continues to enjoy successful racing to the same design to this day – more than 23,000 have been built. They celebrate 60 years as strong as ever.

£225

Lancaster instrument panel bracket (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 17)

Seen left new made exact replicas of the bracket which held the DR Compass and LR homing indicator see this on the Panel page link

Chipmunk Compass mount (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 18)

This is a nice complete compass mount from a chipmunk, has the compass corrector attached and a light all ion very good condition. This compass mount  will fit a P8 or P11compass.

The Chippy was the RAF's standard trainer from the mid 50s. It remained in service with the Army Air Corps until 1997. Nearly 500 are still flying. The first aircraft were designed by De Havilland of Canada (and was the first indigenous design of that company since its formation in 1928), intending to replace the Tiger Moth biplane trainer. It first flew on 22. May 1946 from De Haviland's factory at Downsview, Toronto. It was designed by Wsiewolod J. Jakimuik, formerly chief designer with PZL of Poland. It was ordered by the Canadian Air Force, who used it as an  trainer, prior to students graduating to the Harvard. Canadian Chipmunks were exported to Egypt, Lebanon and Thailand.

£275

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Click on the pictures to enlarge them

RAF ASR/MTB Compass and binnacle (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 19)

This is a nice original compass and binnacle fitted to the air sea rescue launches used to save downed airmen in the channel and Motor torpedo boast of the Royal navy. It has its original paint but is completely made of brass and could be stripped and polished.

ASR launch

£399

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P6 Compass  (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 20)

This compass is in heavily used condition please enlarge the pictures, but does still contain some of its original fluid and is functioning.

£125

The Junkers JU 87 was one of the most versatile and effective combat aircraft of World War II. 

The German aircraft was  slow, but nevertheless very effective.

14676 were built, including a staggering 104 prototypes for its 60 different versions.

This is a WW2 OK 38 German bomber compass as used on ME110, JU87 ect.

Type FL23234

Werk Nr: Q-20091

Bakelite body made by Ludolph, 

Alloy front face good condition working order fluid has been drained.

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Luftwaffe PKZ 14 auto pilot giro (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 26)

Click on the picture's to enlarge them.

This is the internal remains of a PKZ giro compass used as part of the auto pilot system.  The PKZ became available  in 1942 and was produced in large numbers. It was used in a variety of German aircraft including the AR 234, Do 335, He 218, JU 288 and JU 388. You can read more about this unit here link  Identification kindly supplied by Remco Caspers.

Ref: FL32113-6

Shown above the AR 234 The Arado Ar 234 B Blitz (Lightning) was the world's first operational jet bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. The first Ar 234 combat mission, a reconnaissance flight over the Allied beachhead in Normandy, took place August 2, 1944. With a maximum speed of 735 kilometers (459 miles) per hour, the Blitz easily eluded Allied piston-engine fighters. While less famous than the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighters, the Ar 234s that reached Luftwaffe units provided excellent service, especially as reconnaissance aircraft

Click on the picture's to enlarge them.

Click on the picture to enlarge

Old new stock mint condition rubber Mk I watch holder. My understanding is the white ones were used mainly pre War and the Black were wartime although they probably used what was available at the time .

Used in a variety of RAF wartime aircraft including the Lancaster.

White

Air Ministry Marked

Ref: 6A/269

£125

Click on the picture to enlarge

Old new stock mint condition rubber Mk I watch holder. My understanding is the white ones were used mainly pre War and the Black were wartime although they probably used what was available at the time .

Black

Air Ministry Marked

Ref: 6A/269

Out of stock

These are exact copies of the metal watch holders used in 1930s RAF aircraft complete with soft backing material.

£125

The top is missing from this compass and there is no fluid

Used in the Lancaster and Halifax Heavy Bombers.

Ref: 6A/1671

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

£275

Battle of the Atlantic P6 Compass (Pg 5 Clocks and compasses 44)

Battle of the Atlantic P6 Swordfish compass, this compass has been heavily used is dry and has no fluid.

Its quite incredible to think what this piece of equipment has witnessed the Battle of the Atlantic being for all involved one of the toughest of the war.

This compass belonged to Alex C Martin who married Althea Hart in Honiton in 1945 , he lived in Pinetrees. Jubilee road. Totness until his death in 1993.

The information I have is that he was a Pilot with the New Zealand airforce and was sent to Canada  under the Empire training scheme it is unclear whether he was a trainee or training other pilots at this time.

  His combat career involved flying Grumman Hellcats and the Swordfish from aircraft carriers during the Battle of the Atlantic.

This would of coarse make him a FAA Pilot and this compass belonged to one of the aircraft he flew in the Battle of the Atlantic. I have a written account of one of his experiences protecting Atlantic Convoys .

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Spitfire compass tray (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 45)

Now available exact replicas of the Spitfire compass tray, this is a very difficult piece to replicate these are perfect copies made using original drawings they will be supplied painted in a black finish.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them

£450

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B17 Bendix master indicator giro flux Compass (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 47)

Used in the B17 and other American WWII bombers

 The Gyro Flux Gate Compass, was a revolutionary type which enables Allied airmen to fly straight to their target under virtually any conditions, return just as unerringly to their bases after showering destruction on enemy objectives.

The flux gate, or magnetic azimuth sensitive element of the system (magnetic azimuth is direction with relation to magnetic north) is fully electrical and is maintained at the horizontal by an electrically driven horizon gyro. Because of this arrangement, the compass system's indications are not appreciably affected by the sudden manoeuvres in flight. A stable compass proves its worth to airmen who dive, turn their planes at 300-400 mph.

Through this arrangement, the indications of the transmitter in its out-of-the-way place are registered on the master indicator. Further, other indicators are linked to the compass through the Magnesyn system, which makes possible remote readings of measurements received from a master source. Pilot, co-pilot navigator and bombardier have their own dials, and compass readings are transmitted to them or to as many as six different points about the aircraft.

£175

 Compass corrector, bolted to the underside of the compass tray in practically all RAF Wartime aircraft.

AM Ref: 6A/1032

£35

Currently out of Stock

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 Compass corrector, bolted to the underside of the compass tray in practically all RAF Wartime aircraft.

£35

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 Here we have a Airpath Compass as Used by the USAAF

The Compass Inside the Case is working although it is quite faded there is still fluid present. It comes with its original mounting bracket.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

£85

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 Here we have a WW2 Stopwatch with a War Department Crows Foot and S.4494 Stamped on the Back

It has a Cuprel, Dennison Watch Case Company, Made in England Stamped on the Inside of the Case

The Movement is Clean and is in Working Condition

It has a Switch on the Side with Sections Marked Stop and Go

Out of stock more wanted please contact me

Repeater Compass (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 54A)

Ref: 6A/742  Dated 1944

Seen in situ in a Lancaster below.

Here is a repeater compass in really nice original condition.

 Fitted commonly to Lancaster's although this was used long before Lancaster's became operational and fitted to other long range aircraft including the Sunderland, Halifax and Wellington Bomber.. 

The Distant Reading Compass was standard equipment in most multi-engine aircraft in the RAF throughout World War II until it was replaced by the Sperry ‘Gyrosyn’ compass.

 It consists of a master unit containing both the gyro and magnetic elements normally stowed in a part of the aircraft away from large masses of magnetic material which would distort the Earth’s magnetic field.

This master unit feeds, through an electrical transmission system, repeater compass cards on the pilot’s and navigator’s panels and wherever heading indications are required. The complete compass system operates from the aircraft 24 V DC supply.

 The pilot or navigator has control switches for starting and stopping the master unit and a variation setting corrector control to adjust the repeaters to read true instead of magnetic heading. A complete system comprises a master unit, variation setting corrector, a control switch box and a number of repeaters.

The master unit holds the magnetic element, the gyroscope, the monitoring and follow-up mechanism and the transmitter for operating the repeaters. The complete assembly is suspended in gimbals.

The system uses an electric magnetic inductor element fixed to the aircraft in azimuth which detects the direction of the Earth’s magnetic field relative to the aircraft and transmits this information electrically to the gyro element.

£150

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Repeater Compass (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 54)

. Fitted commonly to Lancaster's although this was used long before Lancaster's became operational.  Could have been fitted to a Hampton or Wellington or other early RAF aircraft.

 Glass is broken

Ref: 6B/1584

Has a service date of  1951 however it was obsolete long before then.

£75

This clock looks almost complete although  not working

One of the Hands is Missing and it has no Dust Cover

£289

Out of stock more required please contact me

Here we have a Variation Setting Controller that was used with the Distant Reading Compass System

It Carries the Reference Number 6B/1056 and is Dated 1943

The Knob turns but it does not move the Dial

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Here we have a P4 compass as used in Lancasters and other heavy bombers.

 It is very well used with some paint loss but is complete and has a nice patina.

 It no longer contains fluid.

Type P4 E

6A/745

Here we have a Type A-12 Bubble Sextant as used by the Army Air Force

The Sextant is in its Original Box and is in an OK Condition

A pre World War II sextant manufactured by the Link Aviation Co. It was used by the military and airlines until sometime in the 1940’s, and was the last of a line of aircraft sextants whose design was influenced by use in open cockpit airplanes.

Celestial altitudes are measured by reference to an artificial bubble horizon. The bubble is electrically lighted for night use by standard C size batteries. The sextant is very unique in that it has two different optical paths that can be used. In one, the observer looks down into the sextant and sees the reflected image of the star overhead. We suspect this is the mode designed for open cockpits. In the other mode, the observer holds the sextant at arm’s length and sees the bubble reflected on a glass surface as an illuminated ring against the night sky. Readings are taken from a vernier scale.

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 Smiths 8 day clock  (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 62A)

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 Smiths 8 day clock  (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 62B)

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 Smiths 8 day clock  (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 62C)

Unfortunately this clock is in poor condition mechanically and only for display, it has two small chips on the edge of the glass but these are not visible unless you look closely. it also has the small bolts that hold the case on missing . However this is a rare peace and excellent for use in a panel or as a display item.

A picture of the original advert from the 1933 catalogue.

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1933 A T Speedometer Co Ltd 8 day clock fitted to 1930s Bentley' Blowers  (Pg 5 Compasses and Clocks 63)

 Ownership passed to Smiths, then to S.D Mckellen in 1920, and to Jaeger in December 1928 who in October the previous year had been bought by Smiths.

 In 1930 manufacture of AT instruments moved to the newly built Chronos Works. (pg. 82, James Nye's new book 'A Long Time in Making; History of Smiths' and pg. 42-44, 'Roadcraft' magazine published by Smiths for the 1937 London Olympia Motor Show).

Seen above fitted in the famous Supercharged Bentley Blower

Here we have a  Type P8 Compass. Used in fighters most commonly found in the Spitfire

 6A/1672

It has been heavily used and the case has been repainted silver at some time. It no longer has fluid and has a hairline crack in the glass

Here is a almost as new  example of the Type P12 Compass .

The P12 was unique as it was designed as an inverted compass mounted on the roof of the cockpit , a number of aircraft used them both RAF and RN including the Auster, Swordfish, Shakleton and I believe the now extinct Barracuda .

It is complete with its original box and mirror. The fact that it was mounted inverted a mirror was used to protect the image at almost eye lever making it less likely to incur parallax errors..

This example still has its original fluid and works as it should.

Click on the picture's to enlarge them.

Top left the Fairey Swordfish top right the Fairey Barracuda

Here is a almost as new  example of the Type P12 Compass . The P12 was unique as it was designed as an inverted compass mounted on the roof of the cockpit , a number of aircraft used them both RAF and RN including the Auster, Swordfish, Shakleton and I believe the now extinct Barracuda .

Out of stock

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