H. Williamson of London Pocket Watch. (1st World War military watch, General Services pattern). On the front is the serial number 23473F under "H. Williamson Ltd / London". The serial number 23473F and the British War Office arrow are on the rear. A REPORT IN FILE FROM "NOTRA"STATES THAT THE WATCH MUST BE "STRIPPED IF POSSIBLE IN THE NEAR FUTURE". THIS IS POSSIBLY DUE TO LOW LEVEL RADIATION. (THEIR ITEM #00811) OTHER ITEMS MENTIONED ON THIS REPORT ARE A VICKERS GUN SIGHT (THEIR ITEM #008123 AND THE COLIN FERRIE PRISMATIC COMPASS (THEIR ITEM #00812). Founded by Henry Williamson in 1865, Williamson became an important English wholesale and retail firm after they acquired Charles Hutton Errington of Coventry in 1895, then the English Watch Company in 1897 and finally the Swiss business of Suter & Co (Buren) in 1899. They produced pocket and some wrist watches, clocks, and supplied government contract military watches such as this one being offered and Deck Watches for Royal Navy. Henry Williamson, Ltd. owned a large watch factory in Coventry, England. They manufactured various three quarter plate American style movements. During WW I, Williamson provided a large number of 18 size, open faced, 7 jewel watches to the British Government. They also provided 8 day aviation time pieces to the Admiralty and the Royal Flying Corps. Williamson Ltd was contracted to the Ministry of Defence to make up for a shortfall in General Service Timepieces. No one in England had geared up for war production so a lot of timepieces were brought in from the USA, such as Waltham, Elgin and Hamilton. The 18 size, 7 jewel military pocket watches by H. Williamson were Rugged Military Watches with either illuminated white porcelain dials with roman numerals or black painted brass dials with luminous Arabic numbers. Hands were not the common Cathedral Type with "WINDOWS" that held radium, Williamson went a big step forward by etching the hands so the radium sat on metal rather then in a open window; the radium lasted longer, stayed attached longer and was brighter. Though the movements were made in Coventry, the dials are marked, “H. WILLIAMSON LTD LONDON” in two lines, along with the military issue number under the word, London. The stock market crash of 1929 precipitated the demise of Williamson and the sale of the Buren Watch Co.