Contax 1 camera and leather case : Captain B Brock, HQ Company 2/2 Battalion, AIF

Places
Accession Number REL34758
Collection type Technology
Object type Optical equipment
Physical description Glass, Leather, Metal
Maker Brock, Bruce
Contax (Zeiss Ikon AG)
Place made Germany
Date made c 1934
Conflict Second World War, 1939-1945
Description

Contax 1f Black camera, with leather carry case. 35 mm with Karl Zeiss Jena collapsable lens, four-screw accessory shoe on top and tripod mount support on the base.

History / Summary

This item is associasted with the service of Captain Bruce Brock. Born in Darwin in March 1907, Brock enlisted with the Army in December 1939 - prior to this he was employed as a school teacher. Brock embarked from Australia in January 1940 with 2/2 Battalion which arrived in Egypt a month later and trained in Palestine till the end of August of that year. Promoted to the rank of captain in July 1941, Brock took part in 2/2 Battalion's early battles in Bardia and Tobruk in Libya, and afterwards in the Greek Campaign. Brock returned to Australia in mid 1942 via Papua New Guinea aboard the Ambulance Transport Felix Roussel. He was discharged form service in January 1944.

The Memorial also holds Brock's collection of photographs taken with this camera in Palestine, Libya, Greece and Papua. The Contax 1 was produced between 1932-1936 with the 1f being the last variant of the model, coming into production around 1934. The carry case was handmade by Captain Brock.