Tony

Thanks for the reply Ralph. I didn't know they were just given out without noting a name and badge number. Oh well, I'll never know who received it. Tony

William, Thanks for compliment. I was very pleased with myself when I bought it. I also have a Vigilant which I'll post today or tomorrow, I know there were several versions as I've had a couple myself. It's nice to have one named to a soldier. I haven't posted any more pictures of my own periscopes, because i'm in Ireland at the moment.I sold three of my Periscopes at a car boot in Wigan, to help fund my Ireland Visit, two for for £60..the pair.They are now on Ebay, at £85 ...and £95 ...each.... enough said. I've sold something on this forum in the past at a good collectors price only to see it on ebay soon afterwards, very annoying. Peter, those horrid German snipers probably had more fun showing how good they were shooting away bits of periscope. Tony

MK9 periscope from R & J Beck Ltd. dated 1917. Tony P.S.: more to follow later

Eye protection slider up and a front view of the No. 9 box periscope. By the way, the nut that can be seen on the bolt protruding from the bottom is for attaching a stake, holding the periscope in place in the parapet. Tony

Mirror protection during transportation.

Catch to hold it open when viewing.

British box periscope showing the slider pulled down in place to protect the eyes from broken glass. The paper label is now almost non existent. And folded up ready to be placed into the canvas bag which I don't have.

A brass slider at the top to protect the mirror. This one also has a tube which no doubt would have been placed over the stake driven into the mud of the parapet.

Another French periscope (I call them both French because I bought them in France) but this time a little more exotic. It's screwed together, has a brass slider to protect the eyes in case a horrid German sniper shoots out the top mirror.

The opposite end.

Some periscopes being rather long, are difficult to photograph. This one is a simple French periscope, four pieces of wood nailed together with two mirrors. Tony

Hello, Is there a way of finding the name of the soldier a badge was issued to without having to travel to Kew? I'm assuming the number on the reverse has a man's name next to it in the original paperwork. This one is numbered 955 E. Does that make it one of the first 1000 badges issued or were they issued in no particular numerical order? Tony

It looks like fat Jacques has finally got someone to fix up his trench system, Sanctuary Wood was in a bit of a mess the last time I was there. I was once walking along a trench line in Polygon Wood a day after a heavy down pour and saw what looked like a pine cone at about eye level. I naturally had a closer look, it turned out to be a Mills bomb placed on a ledge that had been cut into the parapet and had probably been there since 1918. Tony

I'll add some other periscopes later. Tony

This is a copy of the prices and how to use the product. I sold the F Duerr periscope I mentioned with the maker's name impressed/stamped into the lid to a prop buyer for the Canadian film Passchendaele. It was destroyed by a German machine gunner within the first few minutes of the film. Shame if it was the original but it was their item to do with as they wished. Tony

Contents of the case including a cloth for the mirrors. This came with the periscope but I have no idea if it's original. Tony

Periscope.

Periscope showing the maker's label. I had another Duerr periscope whereby the transfer label had been changed to a stamping into the metal lid and would think it was a later, maybe cheaper model. Tony

Packet for spare mirror and spare mirror with packing.

I've taken some photos of my periscopes and although this thread started with Mervyn's fantastic Boer War periscope, I'll carry on adding to it with later periscopes and will hope there's as much interest in them as those above. First up is my favourite. It's a private purchase concertina periscope made by those great makers of jams since 1881, F Duerr & Sons who are still in the jam business up the north of England in Manchester. See here if interested. In its carry case which can be attached to a standard 08 web belt.

Nice photos Stephen, please keep them coming if you have more. Tony

Yes, very nice Mervyn. I only have the box, never got round to buying a cross to put in it. I do have a miniature group with the MC on a Spinks bar though, no idea who the recipient was unfortunately. Tony

I like that one Brian, even if the silver plate has come off and the enamel is damaged, very nice indeed. I only have the basic Turkish manufactured type but like it much more than the enamelled examples. Tony

His wife probably mounted them without consideration for the correct medal/ribbon combination and if it was me, I'd show the reverse of the BWM too. Is this the man? Tony

Mervyn, I also have the one with the wooden handle and know them as private purchase officer periscopes. I can imagine them being privately bought but not necessarily only by officers, although they no doubt cost much more than the average soldier in the trenches could afford. I've seen the other one on occasions too but the wooden handled periscope appears to be much easier to find, or at least in England anyway. I need to photograph my collection and will be back near it in a couple of weeks before packing it away again, so will dig out my periscopes. I hope members will find them interesting. Tony