Fritz Posted July 8, 2017 Share #1 Posted July 8, 2017 Gents, was finally able to acquire one of these today still in nice shape. Fritz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. BARney Posted July 9, 2017 Share #2 Posted July 9, 2017 Were these used for night recognition? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz Posted July 9, 2017 Author Share #3 Posted July 9, 2017 I believe they were. Fritz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Jerry Posted July 9, 2017 Share #4 Posted July 9, 2017 Nice piece! Just be careful as they do still have a decent amount of Radium in there. I had some I kept in a lead box (one they came in) and they "burned" through the cloth holder they were in inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz Posted July 9, 2017 Author Share #5 Posted July 9, 2017 ?. Thanks Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. BARney Posted July 10, 2017 Share #6 Posted July 10, 2017 I guess the WW2 equivalent of the "Ranger eyes" used nowadays, so you could follow your buddy on patrol at night. Radium - saw a show on PBS in the last year or so about ladies working in a watch factory during WW1. Some of these ladies painted a compound containing radium on the watch dial faces so the hands and numbers would be visible at night. Many quickly developed - and died of - cancer, particularly in their jaws. Apparently, they would often place the tip of the paint brush between their lips to put a fine point on it as they painted the watch face. I wonder if anyone - management, the government, etc., knew of the dangers? Poor things, Bless their hearts - not all the casualties of war occur on the battlefield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronny67 Posted July 10, 2017 Share #7 Posted July 10, 2017 Radium, not phosphorus. Regular atmosphere is the best shield against the radiation. That is: air. Just don't physically handle it that much. These are great to display. While some paratroops used this in Normandy, there have been no conformations of them being used in any other campaign. So they are not a paratroop specific item, just like the M36 musette bag was used by paras, but not a "paratrooper" specific item. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFH Posted July 10, 2017 Share #8 Posted July 10, 2017 Hi Ronny, I have a, ID'd 193rd/194th GIR / 17th AB vet grouping with a phosphorous helmet disc. The only one I have seen in a 17th AB trooper. May be used for training in US or during Varsity ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronny67 Posted July 10, 2017 Share #9 Posted July 10, 2017 Hi Ronny, I have a, ID'd 193rd/194th GIR / 17th AB vet grouping with a phosphorous helmet disc. The only one I have seen in a 17th AB trooper. May be used for training in US or during Varsity ? Very interesting. I have not come across mention of use in the Market Garden, or Varsity operations because they jumped during daylight. Maybe a souvenir? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron bender Posted July 11, 2017 Share #10 Posted July 11, 2017 Does anyone here know what would be a common price for one of these? I've had my eye on a couple, but the price seemed steep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz Posted July 13, 2017 Author Share #11 Posted July 13, 2017 I was told by a friend between $100-150.00 is normal. Fritz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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