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An exceptionally rare and important Bagnold sun compass,…
Sale Title:
Auction House:
Auction Location:
Auckland
Date:
14-Mar-2021
Lot No.
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Description:
An exceptionally rare and important Bagnold sun compass, Instrumental in giving what has become one of Britain's most famous special forces. The Long Range Desert Group, an unrivalled edge in the North African desert during World War II it is believed this is only the second genuine example to have be offered to the secondary market. The condition is a reflection of its use by the LRDG, the original enamel layer in the upper likely lost during World War II, but all other parts in place. The compass moves smoothly and without fault, and the original vertical needle is present. The compass is presented in a bespoke felt lined box, with the exterior bearing the iconic emblem of the LRDG, Founded in July 1940 by Royal engineers officer Major Ralph Bagnold, the long range Desert group (Lrdg) specialised in raids and reconnaissance behind enemy lines. Bagnold's men were energetic, innovative, self-reliant, physically and mentally tough, and able to live and fight in seclusion in the wilderness. With the addition of the Bagnold sun compass, they became masters of desert navigation, in the barren and featureless north African desert, most of which was unmapped, Bagnold became frustrated with poor performance of the magnetic aero-compass given to him by the Royal Geographical Society. The compass was mounted on his vehicle, but he could not compensate it properly due to the magnetic influence of the car's metal. Often forced to stop his car and take bearings away from the vehicle, the delays to the convoy this caused were unacceptable for Bagnold, Bagnold therefore invented a new sun-compass that could be used while still driving. This worked by turning its disc to match the approximate azimuth of the sun (taken from tables of different dates and latitudes) at regular times. The compass we used was invented by Bagnold, and the advantage that it gave US over the sun-compasses used by the rest of the army lay in the fact that it showed the true bearing of the course followed at any moment, whereas the other types only made certain that if the sun's shadow fell on the correct time-graduation the truck was following a set course. This meant that if one had to change course for any reason (and this happened all the time in rough country or sand dunes), the truck had to be halted and the compass set again. This was all very time consuming, and I have never understood why the army did not adopt the Bagnold sun-compass, which was far simpler to operate, absolutely 'soldier-proof' and, I would have thought, cheaper to produce, LRDG veteran Major-General David Lloyd Owen, 1958, source: https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/sun-compass
Estimate:
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Price:
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Category:
Office, Workshop & Farm: Nautical Equipment