Clocks

[pjac]

I'm not sure if this counts as a 'collection', but I have two clocks which people might be interested to see.

1. The first is an RAF sector clock, Type II made by Smith's Industries. The Astral movement is stamped with their logo and the Air Ministry mark dated 1942. Within the dial is the pencilled message in capital 'GIVE THEM HELL FROM US LADS'. The RAF insignia is clearly visible on the clock face, on which 5 minute segements are denoted by coloured triangles. This came from a reputable source and is not an ebay repro!

These clocks were used in Operations Rooms. The following is a description of how they were used- acknowledgement to the author of the website at http://www.winkton.n...s/sopleyww2.htm

'An article in the July 2005 issue of Flypast magazine describes the workings of the much larger operations and plotting room at RAF Uxbridge. This was used as the 11 Group command post in the Battle of Britain and would have possessed greater functionality than was required at Sopley. None the less the information gives some clues as to how operations were conducted.From the elevated cabin a Supervisor would oversee the entire situation whilst (possibly) an Allocator would allocate fighters and intercepts to individual fighter controllers, who would then control the radar interceptions. The controllers and their assistants were situated in the elevated cabin behind the controller, and in the reporting room. There would be direct phone lines to the wider air defence organisation, manned by an assistant.

On the plotting table metal arrows showing the position and direction of contacts. WAAFs used metal poles with magnetic tips to manipulate the arrows which were colour coded in co-ordination with an RAF sector clock with 5 min colour sectors to show the recency of the plot information. Plots more than ten minutes old were discarded, so only two colours of arrows would have been visible at any one time. If the station was busy, a WAAF supervisor maintained the wall mounted tote board and added additional data to the arrows such as a contact number and a classification of the contact as Hostile or Friendly. The tote board would have listed the local RAF night fighter stations, including Hurn and Middle Wallop, their night fighter squadrons with whom Sopley worked, the aircraft available and their status.'

2.The second is a ship's clock, showing the War Dept arrow at 6 o'clock. Unusually, the main units on the dial are minutes, not hours, and there is a large , highly visible second hand. So far as I have been able to find out, such clocks were used in the operations rooms of ships, and it seems likely that the dial shows the minutes rather than the hours for speed and accuracy when keeping log books etc. or for timing a 'zigzag' manooeuvre. It has a stop-watch lever at 9 o'clock on the case and this reinforces the idea of its use for very accurate time-keeping. It's also been suggested that it might have been used for gunnery purposes.The knurled knob at 3 o'clock is for adjustment. If anybody has any ideas about this clock, please let me know.

I know nothing about clocks- I just like having them on the wall. All care and maintenance is done by a friendly local horologist!

Patrick

[joe campbell]

patrick-

don't know much about them either, but both are quite handsome,

and the info you've provided is quite interesting! start with an

object and work backwards.

i wonder if you might try to contact the author of the article...

he may be able to put you onto some references/people with specific knowledge

of these time pieces. i feel quite certain they are out there.

thanks,

joe

PS my great grandfather is from Housebay/Stronsay/Orkney.

[Brian Wolfe]

Hello Patrick,

You have two very nice clocks and I would say they are a collection, though somewhere on the forum I have offered that, "One is a couriosity, two is a pair, three is a collection and four is an obsession".

Of course that was all in fun.

I have been watching for a clock such as the ones you have and so far have managed to only find a military pocket watch to add to the collection room.

Well done and thanks for sharing them with us.

Regards

Brian

[Stuka f]

Some one's collection ended up in the auction. Over 20 boxes, only managed to get those, but I payed 12,50€ for a box.

 

[Stuka f]

I am not speaking for military related clock's, but civilian clock's market dropped significantly.

My father used to collect some. Mostly British clock's he braught back from our holliday in the UK, back in the seventies. Belgian clock's were hard to get, and much more expensive.

Today I buy my clock's cheap, mostly under the 100 euro.

And only Belgian one's.

I still like them, but couldn't afford them back then.