Reply With QuoteBeing able to put a face to the name of the original owner of the watch and his service is quite extraordinary.
I am sure the diary is a fascinating read.
I just added this to the collection a Borgel cased trench watch with a 1914 silver date mark. That was owned by Frederick Cooper who was in a motorboat squadron. There is a group photo with him wearing the watch. He used it all through the war. Came with a lot of stuff about his service bought it for the watch but the other stuff a plus. Out of all my military watches never had one where I could put a face and a name to the watch with real cool history.
The X is Mr. Cooper. With this watch on his wrist.
Info on Mr. Cooper
Came with his pocket diary.
Found these two things on the net how it would of been for Mr. Cooper at Gallipoli.
The original strap to the watch.
Last edited by River Rat; 15th January 2023 at 00:54.
Being able to put a face to the name of the original owner of the watch and his service is quite extraordinary.
I am sure the diary is a fascinating read.
The firm on the dial still exists -
https://jamesritchieclocks.co.uk/
______
Jim.
I contacted them last week to see if they kept records. They got back to me, and the records are lost in time. A lot of companies back then would buy movements and cases and have their stores name put on the dial. They are mainly a vintage clock repair and the sale of them today. If I lived close to them, they would be working on some of my vintage clocks.Originally Posted by jwg663
After he caught malaria and got what they called the fever in Africa later in the war he drove early vehicles. They must of sent him home due to were that unit on the handbook was located.
His military driver's license and driver's handbook.
Some newspaper clipping, I just found on and bought off eBay. Shows how the British army got motorboat squadrons to the lakes in Africa a very tough task. Figure it's part of Mr. Cooper story and the watch. Wonder if this is how they got the idea for that old Humphry Bogart movie the African Queen.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_African_Queen_(film)
Last edited by River Rat; 15th January 2023 at 18:26.
See if you can get a copy of “The Phantom Flotilla” - It’s the story of how the boats got there and what they did.
Thanks Dave I ordered a copy.
What a watch and an amazing piece of history as well..lucky man.
The part in his diary where their boats were towed to the struma river by the HMS Monitor 23 that was in Greece. His unit went to a lot of different fronts in WW1. Here is a photo of what the HMS Monitor looked like fond it on the net.
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