Verner compas to South African mounted rifles

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

 

I just recieved a Verner Compass dated 1913 to

"Alfred Pinnock was born at Thatcham, near Newbury, Berkshire, on 1 March 1877, and enlisted into the King’s Royal Rifle Corps on 17 September 1894. He served in South Africa from April 1897 and was present during the Boer War at the action at Talana and the Defence of Ladysmith, returning to England in May 1900. He went back to South Africa in September 1900 and remained there until October 1902, after which he served at home until his discharge on 16 September 1906. He served with the Cape Mounted Riflemen during the Natal Rebellion of 1906, and later transferred to the South African Mounted Rifles. During the Great War he served in German South West Africa from 8 August 1914 until 9 July 1915. In November 1916 he returned to England to take up a commission in his old regiment, the King’s Royal Rifle Corps. He joined the 2nd Battalion on the Yser River in France during May 1917, and was taken prisoner on 9th/10th July 1917, along with the rest of the 2nd Battalion who were not killed. He spent the remainder of the war in Germany and was repatriated on 1 January 1919." (Text DNW)

It is stamped with the U with the arrow head inside..... but also with a U with a diamond inside.... is the latter an early Union stamp?

Compass is 1913.

Thanks

Chris

[Paul R]

It sounds like a really cool item.  How is it named?  Can you please share some images?

 

[Tony]

A post war (post Commonwealth) stamping according to the 2nd post here http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?26954-Mark-quot-U-arrow-quot and half way down the page here http://www.sscycle.com/tech/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10548&p=79823&st=0&sk=t&sd=a someone writes it means disposal of by the UDF.

 

Going by the above I reckon it might mean no longer in service some time after 1961.

 

Just checked another site, down the bottom someone says he’s only seen the diamond on surplus released for sale http://forums.gunboards.com/archive/index.php/t-362992.html

[Chris Boonzaier]

I think the U with diamond is at best a theory.... From what I understand, this was a WW1 capture piece... so not in service post war.....

[Tony]

Yes of course, with nothing official to back it up it can only be observations or ideas or he said, she said. I wonder if the nice sleek ones were taken out of service when the big fat chunky compasses were issued? Do you know if the compass was captured with him?

I can't find a battalion diary for 1917 but it appears 3 officers and about 20 men managed to swim back across the Yser to safety after a very successful German attack.

Luckily my compass only has the broad arrow and no name on the case but the compass dial is different than yours, a Verner's pattern VIII from 1917.

Tony

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi,

 

my VII was captured as well ;-)

http://gmic.co.uk/topic/5165-captured-stuff/