Original U.S. Vietnam War Era Fort Riley TAC M-1950 Lensatic Compass Oversized Classroom Familiarization Training Aid in Original Transit Chest
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Original Item: Only One Available. This is an exceptional original U.S. Army oversized M1950 lensatic compass classroom training aid, accompanied by its purpose-built wooden transit chest marked for Fort Riley, Kansas. Constructed as a greatly enlarged representation of the standard military lensatic compass, the device allowed an instructor to demonstrate its components and operation to an entire classroom of soldiers.
This is a prime example of a standard oversized training device utilized in a classroom environment for soldiers during the Vietnam War. With its size, the device would have been placed in a central location, allowing the entire class to witness the subject matter expert (SME) describe the function of each component with ease and clarity.
The M-1950 lensatic compass was the standard land navigation tool used by U.S. troops during the Vietnam War. It had replaced the earlier M-1938 model. It features a folding cover with an integrated wire sight line and a rear eyepiece/magnifying lens that lets you read the dial while lining up a distant landmark.
This oversized M1950 Lensatic compass was designed by the Training Aids Center at Fort Riley in Kansas, likely during the Vietnam War, for use in training the heavy influx of draftees. The compass is designed just like the actual model, with a latchable folding cover, integrated wire sight line, and rear eyepiece/magnifying lens. The top piece of the compass itself does rotate, but the compass does not function as an actual compass. The underside of the compass has a Radiation symbol, a reference to the Radium used for illumination on the compass, but we do not think this example contains any Radium. The side is correctly painted with the meters and the set is in good overall condition, though the rear eyepiece/magnifying lens looks to have broken off during the period and was reattached with a splice plate.
The compass when opened at a 90 degree angle measures 28 x 23 x 30”, and when closed it measures 28 x 23 x 5 ½”. It fits perfectly within the original transit chest.
The original transit chest for the oversized compass retains the latch and a carry handle on the side. The side is stenciled in yellow:
TAC FT RILEY
WOVM 18
The other side is stenciled TD5-1220. The chest was specially designed to house the compass, and measures 25 x 31 x 6 ½”.
The combination of the greatly enlarged M1950 lensatic-compass configuration, functional demonstration features, radiation-warning detail, old field or classroom repair, purpose-built transit chest, and especially the TAC FT RILEY property marking makes this an unusually informative survivor of U.S. Army classroom training. Rather than merely representing the compass itself, it illustrates the practical instructional methods used to teach land-navigation equipment to groups of soldiers before individual field exercises.
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