Hansons Auctioneers and Valuers
Lot 135
A WW1 British officers marching compass, by Negretti & Zambra. Brass body with black painted finish, viewing window to the lid and suspension ring. Mother of pearl dial with luminescent arrow, and brass stop button to the side. Broad arrow and maker marked to the bottom. Complete with its original leather case and strap, named to ‘M Blakeway Royal Tank Corps’. Officially embossed maker mark and date of ‘T.F.&S 1916’. Notes: consigned by the original owners granddaughter. Malcolm Blakeway entered the war on August 10th 1915, and originally served as a 2nd Lt in the 1st battalion Yorks & Lancs Regiment. He later attained his Captaincy while serving in the Tank Corps. He is entitled to the 1915 star, BWM, and Victory medal. He was a native of Handsworth, Birmingham, and later of Chaddesley Kidderminster. It’s believed that he also held a commission during WW2, again as a Captain in the Royal Armoured Corps. He relinquished this commission on August 16th 1945, and was granted the honorary rank of Major. Condition: generally very good. Normal service wear to both the compass and its case. There appears to be a zig-zag pattern lightly scratched into the lid of the compass, likely from the WW1 era (perhaps a moment of boredom?). The compass appears to work as it should, with the stop button also functional. The leather case has a good colour and patina. It may have had a different original owner during WW1, as there is another name inked out on the case.
