Help needed with mystery unit marking on these British binoculars

[rob1713]

I picked up this pair of binoculars earlier this week. I wonder if anyone can help me identify the strange stencilled markings which I assume are for a unit.

Both the case and the Binos are marked with grey paint ME509, with the date SEP 1943 on the case. The case is dated 1928 and has a number of reissue stamps on it including one which looks to read A.A.REP 12-38.
I’d be keen to hear from anyone who could shed some light on these markings.
Thank you
Rob[ATTACH=CONFIG]1435329

[kradman]

Could be when they have been repaired and reissued ?

[William1]

I can't help with the stencilling, but the arrow over a capital I denotes Indian Army issue.

[LoyalHistorian]

That's good to know with the Indian Army. Just thinking about abbreviations of ME in British military, could it be Middle East, or Military Engineer, or Mechanical Excavating? Just spit-balling ideas.

[rob1713]

Thanks for your replies and information chaps

[Rick W]

Thats a fantastic item,
Over stamped and re issued to the max.
Love it.
Cheers Rick

[Watchdog]

Intriguing.

Clearly the binos and case did not originally belong together but the ME-509 on both suggests that they did "live together" at some point. Possibly new binos were issued and for some reason were paired with a much older case. Not altogether unheard of in the military where a new item comes with a new case that is deemed inferior to the older one which is simply "preferred" by the user. This makes me inclined to believe that the ME-509 is a possession mark of some sort, likely but not certainly a unit/dept because of the fairly competent way it is applied. No idea what it means though, sorry!

Bizarrely however, there was a German prototype fighter ME 509 that was cancelled in development!

Obviously no connection here but that might start a few fantasies

Regards

Mark