Family Heirlooms (2)

 

Watching 'The Repair Shop' on TV last night, an item was brought in for repair.

 

"I recognise that!" I blurted.

 

The item in question was a WW1 compass, of a slightly different type compared with mine, but the general structure, and the cases, looked identical to mine.

 

So I rooted around and found said 'heirloom', which is rather later than the Repair Shop item. Mine is in perfect working order, though it lacks the shoulder strap that Susie Fletcher so ably replaced on last night's programme.

 

Mine is a little odd though as the case seems to pre-date the compass.

 

The lined leather case is imprinted with a large 'A' and is stamped with

 

M.HARVEY & CO LTD

WALSALL

1934



 and the broad arrow of the War Department.

 

It's also inscribed in indelible black ink - 'H. R. Taitt 120128' (the last two digits are hard to discern).

 

I wonder whether Dot might know who H. R. Taitt was?

 

The compass is clearly inscribed:

 

TG.CO LTD
LONDON
No B 301092

1944

MK 111



plus the broad arrow of the War Department. So the case pre-dates the compass by ten years.

 

 

I wonder how much use this compass actually got, as it seems to me to be pretty much in mint condition apart from a bit of wear to the red lining inside the case.