Oculus
Compass, Survey, German Luftwaffe (COMP15)
This unique collectible resides in The Fulford Collection and is on auction on eBay April 22-25, 2021 with bidding some items extended thru May 1. Please visit our eBay Store to place a bid.
This is a WWII-era compass of the German Luftwaffe.
According to collector George Fulford's notes:
You can see at a glance this is a fine piece of optics. It has German written all over it. It’s housed in a green leather 7 by 5 inch box inside which is stamped a German Eagle and a Swastika.
This dazzling little jewel was used for surveying front-line airfields. The fact that it can measure to minutes of the arc is impressive and totally unnecessary, but it is an indication of the German trait for quality and accuracy. I remember my younger days flying in post war France and my Flight Commander casually pointing out to us a field that he had flown Spitfires from in 1944, and I know the field did not get an ounce of survey beyond looking for it being long enough to fly Spitfires from.