Description
Bausch & Lomb Rochester NY binoculars Signal Corps US Army with case. Serial # EE 119535. 6 power, 30 mm aperture. This is a set of US Army Signal Corps Binoculars manufactured by Bausch & Lomb. At the onset of World War I the Signal Corps was responsible for distributing binoculars to the Army. Non Commissioned Officers were issued binoculars, while Commissioned Officers were required to purchase their binoculars. Between 1914 & 1918 the Signal Corps relied on Bauch & Lomb, Gundlach - Manhattan, Crown Optical, Talbot Reel & Manufacturing Company & the Weiss Electrical Instruments Company to produce the critically needed binoculars. The leading producer was Baush & Lomb, whose production went from 1800 units in 1914, to 3500 per week by November of 1918. The standard Army binocular was 6 power, prismatic, individually focused, with a field of view of 150 yards at a range of 1000 yards. There were approximately 106,000 sets shipped overseas during the US involvement in WWI. Many of the type EE were still in the Army inventory when World War II broke out & saw service during that war. Based on the serial #, I believe the vintage is early WWI. Bausch & Lomb Rochester Ny Binoculars Signal Corps Us Army With Case
