Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 172:
Description
WWII U.S. Army Model 1938 Lensatic Marching Compass by W. & L.E. Gurley, Troy, N.Y., with Matching Waterproofed OD Canvas Belt Pouch This lot presents a Model 1938 lensatic marching compass manufactured by W. & L.E. Gurley of Troy, New York, one of the established American precision instrument makers contracted by the War Department for military navigation equipment during the Second World War. The compass survives complete with its original olive drab waterproofed canvas carrying pouch, fitted with dual Lift-the-DOT snap closures and a wire belt hanger sized for standard M1910/M1936 web gear. W. & L.E. Gurley, founded in Troy in 1845, built its prewar reputation on high-grade surveying transits and levels, and that same precision manufacturing capacity was turned over to the mass production of lensatic marching compasses for issue to American infantry, artillery, and reconnaissance troops across every theater of the war. The Model 1938 was a fixture of the individual soldier’s field kit, relied upon for dead reckoning, land navigation, and artillery adjustment from North Africa to the Pacific islands. Its dual scale – calibrated in both 360 degrees and 64 artillery mils – let infantrymen and gunners share a common instrument for plotting azimuths and calling fire missions, a small but essential tool behind countless movements of the war. The compass is housed in an aluminum and brass case with a folding sighting lid, thumb loop, and rear eyepiece magnifier/sight. The black-painted exterior finish shows honest edge wear and loss, exposing bright brass and aluminum beneath, consistent with genuine field or long-term handling. The dial beneath the glass is clearly lettered "W. & L.E. GURLEY / TROY, N.Y., U.S.A., " with luminous cardinal points, an intact sighting wire, and crisp concentric degree and mil graduations. The accompanying waterproofed olive drab canvas pouch has a broad snap flap, a rear belt loop and wire hanger, and both Lift-the-DOT fasteners present and functional. A well-marked, honestly worn Gurley compass and its matching field pouch, together forming a solid representative example of the everyday navigation gear that guided American soldiers through the Second World War.
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