Hi all now I do not want to drop my self in hot water over what is and what is not the Brit Government board arrow or Pheon known to some people of my generation by the slang name The Crows foot. There are a couple of things that do not seem to ring true about the impressed mark on the barrel flats, if they had room there would be a form of issue number impressed as well as the board arrow and somehow just a zero I feel would not fit the bill. Also the arrow would be more often than not placed in an easily viewable position because the Government are not interested in esthetical looks only ownership of the said item, also I feel the arrow is not of the usual expected proportions. In one of the photographs is an American manufactured Military issue stop watch which has what could be said carries the correct proportioned board arrow and surprise this watch was issued by the American Air force during WW2 to my late farther in law.
The story goes at the start of the war we Brits could not train enough pilots so he was sent to Canada and enlisted in the Canadian Air Force then he crossed the States Canadian border travelling to Pensacola where he was trained to fly Sunderland Flying Boats amongst other planes now this clandestine route to the US was needed because at the time the US was a neutral power in the hostilities between us Brits and our German cousins at the time the watch was issued to him for timing munitions fuses.
Like a lot of people who went through the hostilities he was extremely reluctant to talk about the war though he did say that back in Britland they did use shotguns in training as a practical demonstration of the importance of lead for moving targets as a country lad he was quite familiar with shotguns. He did say that the guns used where quite devoid of any names or engraving but carried Birmingham proof marks and having an extremely large board arrow and issue number stamped at the breach end of each barrel.
In the other photograph is the smallest broad arrow and issue identification I have in my collection of bits and pieces, which is impressed on a Military pistol cleaning rod bearing in mind the rod is of an inch in diameter but the arrow has the same proportions as the watch arrow.
I hope this may be of some help and interest.
Damascus
