Here we have a good original example of a 1940 Omega ‘Weems’ RAF Issue WW2 watch, reference 6B/159 Mk VIIA, which comes from the original wearer’s family. It also comes with photographs of the owner during war time and other documentation from his life. His service records have been applied for, meaning a fully accurate history of his service will be complied in the future.
In 1940 the Air Ministry placed an order with Omega for 2000 watches, ref CK 2129. The orders were delivered to Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co Ltd. London in March of 1940.
The Weems Mk VIIA wristwatch was issued to pilots and navigators of the RAF during WW2. It is famous for its rotating outer bezel, used for dead reckoning calculations, to determine location and aid navigation.
There we five manufacturers of these watches; Omega, Longines, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Zenith and Movado. It is estimated around 7000 were issued. 2000 Omega examples were issued from 1940, but numbers are even scarcer after many examples were damaged or lost during service and in particular during the Battle of Britain.
In popular culture, the Omega Weems has gained a cult following due to Tom Hardy wearing a replica example in Christopher Nolans 2017 WW2 film, Dunkirk. This features prominently on his wrist as he fly’s over the beaches in his Spitfire.
A rare and special example. One which is cosmetically good, original and can be traced to its original wearer.
Clifford Wearden
Clifford Kirkham Wearden was born on 15th August 1920. The exact date that he enlisted in the Fleet Air Arm is not yet known and will be contained in his serviced records. He first appears in the Navy List of February 1942 as a Temporary Sub Lieutenant and was listed as obtaining the rank on 15th August 1941 (his 21st birthday) and subsequently listed as qualifying for pilots duties, indicating he had passed his pilots training by this stage.
His early career is currently unknown and will be unveiled by the release of his service papers, which we have applied for. We do know from a later recounting of his service, that both Clifford and his close friend David James (also a Fleet Air Arm Pilot) were deployed upon HMS Implacable (R86) from her commission on 28th August 1944.
HMS Implacable was assigned to the Home Fleet and attacked targets in Norway for the rest of the year. She has taken part in operations to locate Tirpitz and in late October, she participated in Operation Athletic off the Norweigian coast. This saw her aircraft sink six ships and damage a German Submarine, for the loss of one Barracuda, while conducting the Royal Navy's last wartime torpedo attack.
She was later assigned to the British Pacific Fleet. On her journey to Australia she had two hangars and a flight deck packed with aircraft with the intention of fighting the Japanese in the far east. The ship arrived in Australia on VE-Day, with celebrations on board muted, with both David and Clifford quoted as saying "We still had the Japanese to fight".
HMS Implacable arrived at the BPF's main operating base at Manus Island in the Admiralty Islands, on 29th May 1945. A week later the flag was hoisted in preperation for Operation Inmate, an attack on the Japanese naval base at Truk, in the Caroline Islands. Truk was once the most important of the Japanese fleets pacific anchorages, but by this period it was a graveyard of ships due to US air assaults.
113 offensive sorties were flown over the two days of the attack from 14th June 1945, with only one loss of a Seafire to enemy action. On July 17th Eight fireflies and a dozen seafires were launched against targets north of Tokyo. They also attacked the next day, with the most successful attack coming on the 25th July when they hit Osaka and the inland Sea, crippling the escort carrier Kaiyo. They also sunk the escort Okinawa near Maizuru.
Operations were halted due to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima until 9th August.
In total the ships aircraft flew over 1000 sorties since her arrival the previous month. It was also the only ship in the British fleet to survive a Kamikaze attack.
During the operations of July and August 1945, Clifford and David would have been active and flying many of these sorties. Later in life Clifford recalled for a local newspaper that whilst flying top cover and observing the bombers below, he spotted a Japanese Dam "with thoughts of the Dambusters in my mind, I decided to attack it and went over Japan after the others had gone. I did a dive bombing attack and put two bombs on either side of the dam, but I never knew if our bombs were big enough to break it".
With a two year gap in Clifford's service, due to be filled in by his service records, there is much more information to come.
Throughout his service Clifford had this trusty Omega Weems on his wrist. This watch survived Kamakazi attacks and daring bombing raids, whilst also being in Japan at the time the world as we knew it changed, with the dropping of the Atomic bomb.
Please contact us for further details and read the associated article on the site
The watch is modelled on a 7” wrist circumference.
Please see the images as these compliment the description provided below.
Dial:
The dial is original. It was silver and has an even, aged cream tone. It has some marking and dirt spotting associated with age. There is a darker staining and some wear to the minute track from 2 – 4 o’clock due to moisture ingress in its life. The ‘Omega’ and ‘Swiss Made’ signing is clear. The Arabic numerals are clear.
Hands:
The hands are original and are of the spade and whip style. They are thermally blued with spotted corrosion associated with age. The lollipop counterbalance central second is original and good.
Glass:
The crystal is a replacement.
Crown:
The winding crown appears original with the knurled cut outs.
The locking crown also appears original. It has wear to the face which has exposed the locking screw head. The locking piece is a replacement part.
Bezel:
The bezel is original and is well defined with clear engraving. The sides are well defined and engage with the locking crown well.
Case:
The case is stainless steel and is in very good original condition. It is unpolished and is sharp, with well-defined lines and brushed finishing.
Case back:
The case back is formed of stainless steel and is in very good original condition. It has the light circular graining still visible. The engravings are very well defined. A very crisp example with no marking from a single piece strap in its life.
Strap:
The watch comes on a period stainless steel Bonklip bracelet.
Movement:
The movement is original. It has been recently serviced and is keeping time to within +8 seconds a day. It has an amplitude of 320 degrees and a beat error of 0.1m/s.