Original Item: Only One Available.This is a very interesting pair of German-made Busch Rathenow SOLUXON 8x30 Porro-prism binoculars, serial number 243577, with an exceptional American military association. The binoculars are prominently marked COL. B.E. ALLEN, while the leather carrying-strap pad is separately marked LT. COL. B.E. ALLEN. These markings correspond with Brooke Empie Allen, the U.S. Army Air Forces B-17 pilot who was one of only two B-17 pilots to take off from Hickam Field while it was under Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. Allen subsequently commanded B-17s during the Battle of Midway, commanded the 5th Bombardment Group in the South Pacific, and ultimately retired from the U.S. Air Force as a Major General.

The binoculars themselves are a German Busch Rathenow SOLUXON commercial or export-pattern model rather than a standard German military Dienstglas. Their exact date of manufacture has not been confirmed, but the full Busch Rathenow maker marking and SOLUXON trade name are consistent with prewar to early WWII-era production.

The left prism plate is marked:

SOLUXON
8x30
Nr. 243577

Here, 8x30 denotes eight-power magnification with approximately 30mm objective lenses, while Nr. is the German abbreviation for Nummer, or "Number."

The opposite prism plate bears the maker's trademark:

Busch
Rathenow

Rathenow, west of Berlin, was one of Germany's major centers of optical manufacture. The Busch firm had a long history there and produced an extensive range of binoculars and other optical instruments.

One exterior plate has the additional American ownership marking: COL. B.E. ALLEN

The leather carrying-strap pad is separately marked: LT. COL. B.E. ALLEN

The binoculars remain in good, honest used condition with much of the original black finish and textured body covering still present. There is scattered finish wear, scratching, handling marks, and age-related grime, particularly around the eyepieces and prism housings. The Busch, SOLUXON, serial number, and Allen ownership markings remain clearly legible.

The binoculars are still functional overall and provide a usable view. There is some visible debris within both optical paths, along with light age-related haze and surface marks to the lenses. The right-side focusing adjustment is no longer functional, so focus on that side cannot presently be fine-tuned. No attempt has been made to disassemble, clean, or repair the optics.

The original leather carrying strap and marked leather pad remain present. The leather shows age and use, including dryness, edge wear, and some fraying, but remains an important part of the set, particularly because the pad is separately identified LT. COL. B.E. ALLEN.

Overall, this is a well-used but substantially intact pair of period binoculars whose greatest significance lies in the exceptionally interesting Allen identification and surviving matching named leather component. Please consult the photographs carefully for the exact condition.

About Brooke Empie Allen

Brooke Empie Allen was born in North Carolina in 1910 and graduated from Davidson College in 1933. He entered Army service that year and completed flying training at Kelly Field in 1934. After early service at Mitchel Field, New York, Allen was transferred to Hickam Field, Hawaii, in September 1939.

Allen was at Hickam on the morning of December 7, 1941. According to his official U.S. Air Force biography, he was one of two B-17 pilots who succeeded in taking off from Hickam Field while the base was under attack. Contemporary Air Force historical material further records that the two aircraft went aloft in an effort to locate the Japanese carrier force.

This distinction is worth stating accurately. Allen was not simply present at Pearl Harbor; he was actively flying during the attack itself.

Only six months later, Allen was heavily involved in another decisive Pacific engagement. As commander of the 42nd Bombardment Squadron, 11th Bombardment Group, he led B-17 formations against the Japanese naval force during the Battle of Midway, June 4-6, 1942. His official Air Force biography records four attacks against the Japanese task force during the first two critical days of the battle.

For his leadership at Midway, Lieutenant Colonel Allen received the Distinguished Service Cross. His citation records that he personally led his B-17 squadron in four attacks against Japanese naval forces between June 4 and 6, 1942.

Later that year Allen was promoted to Colonel and assumed command of the 5th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on November 1, 1942. The group soon operated from the South Pacific, and Allen continued flying combat missions. His official biography states that he accumulated more than 350 combat hours before returning to the United States in August 1943.

Allen's wartime decorations ultimately included the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, and other awards. After WWII he continued in the newly independent U.S. Air Force, holding increasingly senior commands. Among his later assignments were command of the Continental Division of the Military Air Transport Service, command of the Sixth Allied Tactical Air Force in Turkey, and command of Headquarters Command, U.S. Air Force, in Washington. He retired in 1966 as Major General Brooke Empie Allen and died in 1992.