Need some help getting back to the fort

[Baltimore Ed]

I've picked up a bunch of accoutrements over the years, Mills shotgun belts, dated whistles, a sword knot, hat cords, collar dogs, assorted medals and pins and these 3 compasses. 2 are Wittnauers and one unnamed. One of the nickled Wittnauers has gone loco and reversed itself so that it points south instead of north. This could be real bad if I was deep in hostile territory and running low on beans and bullets. How do you reorient it to be correct or is it even possible?

[River City John]

I would just know that I needed to note the opposite end of the gnomon for my readings . . .
 

Either that or pick that one to put into a nice shadowbox display with some of your other trinkets.

RCJ

[St. George]

You don't...

River City John's advice will allow use of that WWII-era compass nicely, so long as you remain aware.

Scouts Out!

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[Baltimore Ed]

St George, I honestly didn't even think about the appropriate era of these compasses. They are not dated so I just assumed that a US marked compass was a US compass. Would the brass cased compass be correct for Span Am or Punitive Expedition then? I didn't do my homework I guess. Thanks

[River City John]

https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-reverse-the-polarity-of-a-magnet

Above is good info found on the internet. May answer your question. Sounds like a "fix" would involve disassembly, etc., and I personally wouldn't tamper with an old instrument . . .

St. George, I have come to realize, is a wealth of knowledge on many things military or otherwise and spot on.

My feeling is, if you were to use the brass-cased compass in your Span Am impression, that would be "close enough" until you find a bargain priced authentic period compass to replace it. Gut guess is that when the day comes and you do find it, the price will easily be in the low hundreds of dollars and then do you really want to chance using it in your field kit? GAF, while completely authentic impressions are cherished, would not care if you fudge a little.

Cheers!



RCJ

[St. George]

The 'US' compasses that you show date from WWI-WWII - not earlier - there's also a variant marked 'USCE' - indicating Corps of Engineers.

Earlier compasses in this style 'are' dated on the card face - they stopped doing that around WWI.

There's also the alchohol-filled 'Marching Compass' that was tougher, came in a leather case, and go back to the Punitive Expedition.

Compasses had a very limited issue - mostly to leaders, or temporarily to soldiers with a definite need..

Scouts Out!