Reply With QuoteOooo very nice.
It’s a nice looking historic clock
I didn’t realise the printed the ship name on the dial.
Just got this off Ebay. A WW2 Sestrel Deck clock from the HMAS Australia a cruiser that saw a lot of action and survived WW2.
A little info of the ship.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_Australia_(D84)
Hope I did OK on this. But the date of the clock and Setrel did sale stuff to the royal navy I think it's legit. Was reading about this this ship during a kamikaze attack the captain was killed. Being from his cabin really makes you think about the sacrifices the greatest generation did. My dad was lucky to have survived a Kamikaze attack on the USS Bunker Hill he escaped the fire by jumping onto a catwalk along the flight deck.
Oooo very nice.
It’s a nice looking historic clock
I didn’t realise the printed the ship name on the dial.
My guess is it was done special for the captain why the name of the ship on the dial. The back had me wondering but someone on MWR forum posted a link to one that had pantry on back that space is in the galley or mess decks of a ship. So, I might of did good on this buy.
I have a Sestrel ships compass from Ebay, which I refurbished with the help of some BA thread brass screws donated by a member on here.
From memory, Sestrel were a Canadian instrument manufacturer. By chance, they were merged with Lillie & Gillie who have a workshop near the Tyne.
The service and calibration engineer asked me to call in with the old perished rubber gasket seal, and he gave me a new one free of charge.
They didn't have any clocks onsite, but they did have loads of brand new compass and sextants on the shelves.
Edit = the UK company provide clocks via the Tyneside repair & calibration workshop, and the Birmingham manufacturing plant.
https://www.jlgmarine.com/products/nautical-equipment/
Last edited by Reeny; 27th July 2023 at 09:10. Reason: Lillie & Gillie weblink added
Link to the Sestrel compass restoration below.
Some of the pictures are missing, but the bulk of the story is there.
https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...ip+compass#top
Received it today like bought it Wednesday and got it on Friday all the way from England to the USA very fast shipping. Has anyone ever saw this anchor mark on naval property.
Got it on the wall already.
It is likely to be an identifier mark for the repair and calibration department, along with the Captains cabin identufying mark on the rear.
The Navy will at some point in time, will test all of the instruments in a big batch while in port. The easiest method will be to strip everything out, test, adjust, then replace.
The marks will be needed for the calibration records, and to get the instruments back into the correct location.
The mark has 1812 stamped next to the anchor.
If it was 1912, I would assume this was a date code. But 1812 will be a serial number for the ships inventory.
It could be the number for the ship = No.1812.
My compass only has the manufacturers serial number on the dial, so may have been from a none Military vessel.
The code 1942 just hard to get a better photo. Most likely the date when maintenance work done to the clock you might be right.Originally Posted by Reeny
Last edited by River Rat; 30th July 2023 at 16:20.
The anchor may tie it back to Birmingham as referred to Reeny earlier. The anchor is the symbol used by the Birmingham Assay Office.
According to Wiki - the ship entered service 1925, but the ships role was re-assigned during 1942.
So rather than being a calibration mark or serial number - it is more likely that the Anchor stamp is an AU Navy or manufacturers issue mark for new equipment installed during an upgrade in 1942, or there was change of Captain (and the Captain wanted a new clock)
In February 1942, the Australian cruiser became flagship of the newly formed ANZAC Squadron.[21]
In early March, Australia was assigned to shell Gasmata in New Britain.[38]
However, on 7 March, the ships for the operation were recalled, and were used three days later to provide long-range protection for the American aircraft carriers USS Lexington and USS Yorktown
Edit - I have just noticed British Made printed on the dial.
So Stefaulkers suggestion that this is the Birmingham Factory mark makes sense.
Last edited by Reeny; 3rd August 2023 at 11:48.
Have emailed the Australian navy museum and Australian war museum with photos only got a reply from the Australian war museum they received my question still waiting for what they think of it. One member of MWR forum said maybe it will return to Australia one day made me think. I am getting old so later when I start thinning out the collection due to, I am getting up in years so some time down the road might donate it to one of those museums a ship named after your country was a nations pride and I bet they don't have a lot of historical items from this ship. Plus, my dad's mom was from Australia.
Some photos of the movement. Has an Elliott movement. Clean movement looks to have been serviced a plus. Has a cover over the regulator never seen that yet on an Elliott clock movement before.
Last edited by River Rat; 9th August 2023 at 21:44.
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