Nautical Sextant for RAF Flying Boat, 6B/177 1945 (SEXT44)

This is a WWII-era marine sextant from the UK, as used in the Patrol Bomber Short Sunderland.

According to collector George Fulford's notes:

Here is another jewel that whittled away my estate but was well worth the patience and cost. I had always wanted to get my hands on one but all previous ones for sale were grubby and expensive. Then this little jewel came up for sale and I saw that it was in primo condition and I was determined to buy it. The problem, as always, has been that just plain people loved the looks of it and wanted it for the pretty picture it looked when on display on a shelf. This model was specifically designed, by Huson, for the four engine Sunderland flying boats when they used to patrol the oceans looking for U boats in WW2. And as such is probably the only Marine sextant designed for aircraft. I got the word once that it was not used in flight – the bubble sextant was used – but for sights taken when they had landed on water. My mind conjures all sort of reasons why it would not be much good even then – but what the hell, its probably the cutest marine sextant ever made.