Jump to content

WWII Typewriter Question


QED4
 Share

Recommended Posts

We all know that WWII Field Desks has a portable typewriter in the large open space in them but dose any one know what makes and models the Army actually procured for them? I picked up a Corona Standard today and it is the right time period and fits perfectly into my field desk but I am not sure if the Army actually used them or not. Dose any one have any information on which ones were used?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got the same issue. I have a corona standard for the company level field desk, and always wondered, but I never remembered to ask on the forums.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

craig_pickrall

The info on typewriters and field desks is in QUARTERMASTER SUPPLY CATALOG QM 3-4 LIST OF ITEMS FOR ISSUE TO TROOPS, MISCELLANEOUS ORGANIZATIONAL EQUIPMENT.

 

They do not show pics of the typewriters or specify makers. They are described as follows:

 

TYPEWRITERS, PORTABLE, WITH CARRYING CASE Stock no 54-T-16000

TYPEWRITERS, PORTABLE, USED, WITH CARRYING CASE Stock no 54-T-20000

 

The non-portable typewriters are listed in four sizes, 11", 14", 18" and 26" Carriage but there is no carriage size specified for the portable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

craig_pickrall

I just found this pic while looking for something else. Thought it might help.

 

LIFE Magazine JULY 7, 1941

 

post-5-1192827864.jpg

post-5-1192827875.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We still had two of these typewriters in my reserve unit in the mid 1980's. They had a shiny black finish and had a brass rectangular tag riveted to the side IIRC. I think the tags were WWII vintage, but they could have been tagged and put on the property book by serial number after WWII.

We still had a lot of WWII gear including mess kits, canteen cups and E-tools. I traded several WWII dated canteen cups out for the more modern wire handled cups that I was buying as surplus and changed out at least three folding shovels. The post war ones having the pick head and the ones I was getting didn't have them.

Allan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Laury Allison

A lot of the older ones were Underwoods, Remingtons, and Royals. Not sure if there was any specific model used or some of all of them. You might want to look those models up on the internet and see if you can find some history for them.

 

Laury

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...
Salvage Sailor

Aloha Everyone,

 

My 7th grade typing teacher, Mr Linson was what one would call "an odd duck". He was well over 6 feet tall, thin, and with his close cropped dark hair and 'birth control' black GI glasses, we were convinced he was a major dork. He told stupid jokes, played the recorder through his nose, and liked to sing parodies of show tunes. He was funny, and would keep us laughing throughout the 6 week summer school class. I can still remember the foolish typing jingles he would make up so we could learn to touchtype.

 

One day, we asked him how he became a typist and he told us about being a paratrooper with the 101st and jumping into Normandy with his Remington 5T portable........speechless does not convey our disbelief nor did our blank stares.

 

This guy? A paratrooper?

 

So one day near the end of the term he brought in some photos of him before the jump, with his remington strapped to his side.

 

I never thought the man was a dork after that.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Salvage Sailor

Aloha Everyone,

 

To answer the main question, the War Department scooped up every typewriter they could from the civilian market and pressed them into service. The main brands were Remington, Underwood, & Corona. No typewriters were made during the war years, and the Remington & Underwood factories were converted to war production (as many of you know, Underwood made M1 Carbines).

 

It was illegal for a civilian to purchase a typewriter during WWII as all existing stocks were turned over to the Quartermaster Department. They also set up typewriter repair schools, which was the most common machine the QM mechanics would repair in WWII (the Army & other services ran on paper - in quintuplicate)

 

I recall reading somewhere that among the cargos of one of the few ships sunk at Normandy was 20,000 typewriters. That must have put a major crimp in the supply chain.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
No typewriters were made during the war years, and the Remington & Underwood factories were converted to war production
Well, that's not exactly true. Corona made them well into 1942, mostly for government service, and it wasn't illegal for civilians to own or buy them, you just needed permission to do so. It was a simple form, and you only to give a halfway decent reason to get one (granted, it might not be new or with good function...)

I collect War Correspondent stuff, so I have a decent collection of machines and related paperwork on the subject:

ThreeMachines.jpg

RemingtonRandCrate.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cool stuff Willy, I am just now getting myself into war correspondent items as well and would like your opinion on this typewriter some one is offering me.

 

It is a Underwood with a Serial Number of: 4740622-11. The carriage appears to need a little work but it looks to be in good shape. It looks some what similar to the 1937 one in the picture you posted.

 

P.S. Bigger pictures are coming, so for right now you will have to settle for the little one.

 

- Jeff

post-1090-1204831187.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is a Underwood with a Serial Number of: 4740622-11. The carriage appears to need a little work but it looks to be in good shape. It looks some what similar to the 1937 one in the picture you posted.
Jeff,

It looks like an Underwood model 6 to me with the long carriage, but it's hard to know for sure. If indeed that the model, the serial number would actually be 1937 exactly.

It's a desktop model, not really portable. You'd find them well behind the lines, in Divisional or Corps/Army HQ's or even stateside. You'd not likely find out up front or in the hands of a WarCo though. As you know, that thing is a freaking boat anchor, probably weighs somewhere between 25 and 30 pounds!

Lee

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haha, I know it is heavier then my car! :) I got some bigger pictures of it and will post a few. I kind of figured it wasn't a frontlines type of typewriter. The truth of the matter be though, the guy who sold it to me said that it was his grandfathers and was used initially at the business he owned and then later to type a manuscript that was never published.

 

So while knowing it was never enscripted into the military service during WWII, it sounds as if you are right and it was used around the late 1930's or early 1940's. Even so, it will still go great with my field desk display and even if it never saw military use it can still make a great example of a typewriter that could have been used in the military.

 

- Jeff

post-1090-1204863950.jpg

post-1090-1204863998.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The things that show up on this Forum. I finally had time to read this posting and went out in my Garage and found the old Family typewriter. Its been around as long as I can remember and I used it in College in the mid 60s. Its a Underwood #3 wide carraige. I'm cleaning it up and will put it in my War room. If and when I get a desk I'm all set with the typewriter. Thanks guys

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The things that show up on this Forum. I finally had time to read this posting and went out in my Garage and found the old Family typewriter. Its been around as long as I can remember and I used it in College in the mid 60s. Its a Underwood #3 wide carraige. I'm cleaning it up and will put it in my War room. If and when I get a desk I'm all set with the typewriter. Thanks guys
Find out the serial number, I can probably tell you what year it was. I've noticed a lot of folks who display at living history events, often have typewriters that are well beyond the pre-1945 era.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The US armed forces used not only brand-new typewriters. There was a typewriter campaign in the USA in 1942 to secure used typewriters from civil sector. Those machines had special decal as can be seen below with caption "Property of U.S. Government - severe penalties for unlawful use".

 

All images of 1942.

post-75-1204965809.jpg

post-75-1204965819.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Find out the serial number, I can probably tell you what year it was. I've noticed a lot of folks who display at living history events, often have typewriters that are well beyond the pre-1945 era.

Serial # is 3585942-11

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a really old Royal typewriter, I bought from an estate sale. I have looked all over it for some kind of serial number and can't find anything. Where generally would the serial number and other info be placed on it??

 

Thanks,

 

 

Bob Law

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...