Vietnam survival kit flare gun & more...

[wartimecollectables.com]

This set reportedly came out of the survival kit of an early 60's helicopter pilot's effects. I found a bit on line about this ingenious little pen sized flare gun but nothing about the arrowhead, knife, and hacksaw attachments that came with it. Any information anyone can share would be appreciated!

The flare gun is marked MAYDAY PAT. #3,044,360 and has a small spring loaded bolt to fire a bullet or flare. I found some interesting info on line using the patent number as a search parameter and it does indeed date to the early 60's and is a personal flare gun to penetrate jungle foliage. Each of the other three rubberized encased items can screw into the flare gun for use. I haven't yet found anything on them.

[wartimecollectables.com]

A couple more pics...

[Survival]

The components might be out of a USN SEEK 2 kit from the Vietnam war era. The arrowhead probably does not screw into the gun. I don't recall the SEEK 2 having a pen gun as part of the kit though. The flare gun might be a little short for the common military issue versions and I don't recall a pen clip on the military guns. The Army had a kit for Helicopter pilots that had a similar knife, saw, and a short pengun but no arrowhead.

[ikar]

The pen flare looks like the same ones that were carried on C-130s at Littlerock. I had to go to a 130 crash (turned out it was the one my wife used to take care of) and there were items like that all over the area. I'm not sure if it had the clip on it or not. I did salvage one of the pocket knives and later got some pictures of the wreckage after it was brought back to base.

[ffuries]

The pen-gun flare used by the USAF is the AP25S-5A (L-119). As far as I know they never had a pocket clip on them. Not to say other branches didn't have something like that on their version. In the picture below you can see the launcher.

 

 

 

Mike

USAF Retired

[11b inf]

hi wartimecollectables.com...i looked in my referance book and found that the vietnam issue "Army LightWeight Indvidual Survival kit" has the flare launcher,hacksaw blade,and knife blade listed as kit components but NO arrow head in the listings....i looked at the early SEEK-2 kit listing and found the combo:knife blade and hack saw blade listed along with the arrowhead you have pictured but NO flare launcher in content list...the launcher was carried in the vest separate of the kit...i belive the items you have came from a SEEK-2 kit....vince g. 11b inf...

[Survival]

The Air Force did use a similar style launcher as the one shown from the mid 1960s to the early 1970s. The gyrojet style started late 1960s and eventually replaced the screw type flares. I think the Navy still use the screw in style. I have a idea the launcher is commercial. The pocket clip, lack of a military stamp, and no ring for a cord make me think private purchase. I think I have seen commercial Mayday launcher sets from the 1960s.

[wartimecollectables.com]

Thanks everyone!

[Third Herd]

I was stationed in Korea 1970-1971, and saw a novel use for one of the flare pens. I was TDY and the NCO Club was full so they let us in the Officer's Club. A pilot was tired of waiting for the waitress to come back fired off a flare from a pen sized gun in the club. She hurried over and he didn't get killed out.

[Spathologist]

The pen-gun flare used by the USAF is the AP25S-5A (L-119). As far as I know they never had a pocket clip on them. Not to say other branches didn't have something like that on their version. In the picture below you can see the launcher.

 

 

 

Mike

USAF Retired

 

This is what I had in my helo survival vests, at least until they stopped issuing them a few years ago.

[Mashsig]

Hi everyone, I realized that I am a bit late for this discussion - but I recongize two of the items as being from the U.S. Army's Survival Kit, Leg Holster, Individual (FSN 8465-935-4728) or Individual Survival Kit aka the "Leg Holster" Kit - that was issued prior the Army's adoption of the U.S. Air Force's SRU-21/P Survival Vest during the Viet Nam War. The blades were designed to screw into the flare launcher which was the handle for the blades and the frying pan that was also the cover for this kit. The "Leg Holster" kit replaced the SEEK I in the Army's Aviation inventory ~ June 1967.

 

In this kit there were two "blade assemblies" - hacksaw and knife. I have this kit made by Rocket Jet Corporation of CA and the blades were not encased in the new tool jel containers - the blades were in plastic tubes filed with a preservative solution. The Leg Holster Kit was classified "Standard A" in April 1968 even though the contract to make the kit was not concluded.

 

I can provide pictures if anyone is interested.

 

Also - I have not found these blades in either the Air Force Seek 1 and 2 kits of the Viet Nam War or the forerunner of the Air Force's Airman 2 part kits that were issued in the carry bags that were also issued in various Navy kits and the Army's OV-1 Survival Vest that was finally issued after US involvement in Viet Nam ended. The arrow head does look like the one that was issued in the Gaff assembly box for the Emergency Sustenance Vest, Type C-1. However it did not come with the new tool gel protector.

[Mashsig]

Error in my third paragraph above in my first post to this topic : "Also - I have not found these blades in either the Air Force Seek 1 and 2 kits of the Viet Nam War or the forerunner of the Air Force's Airman 2 part kits that were issued in the carry bags that were also issued in various Navy kits and the Army's OV-1 Survival Vest that was finally issued after US involvement in Viet Nam ended. The arrow head does look like the one that was issued in the Gaff assembly box for the Emergency Sustenance Vest, Type C-1. However it did not come with the new tool gel protector."

 

 

What I wanted to write follows :

 

Also - I have not found these blades in either the U.S. Navy Seek 1, two part kit (in the clear plastic hard cases) or the U.S. Air Force Seek 2, two part kits (in the bags) of the Viet Nam War. I have also not see these components in the Army's OV-1 Survival Vest that was finally issued after US involvement in Viet Nam ended (~3rd Quarter of 1975).

 

The arrow head does look like the one that was issued in the Gaff assembly box for the Emergency Sustenance Vest, Type C-1. However it did not come [encased] in the "tool gel protector".

 

 

[Mashsig]

Actually looking at the arrow head this afternoon - it looks a lot like those I got as a boy when I was into archery. I don't see the slot for the razor cross piece - however the stamp welds along the shaft and the color of the blade remind me of those I bought back in the 70s. Pearson or Bear?

[Survival]

The SEEK 1 and SEEK 2 were Navy issued kits. The SEEK 2 had a combination one piece hacksaw / knife that screwed into the launcher similar to this one. It also had an arrowhead. All my SEEK 2s have the arrowhead sealed in a green plastic bag so I can't say if its similar to the one shown. The leg holster kit does show a separate hacksaw and knife set similar to these but I am not sure if they have the orange preservative on them like these examples. No arrowhead in the leg holster kit. As all the components have the same plastic coating you would think they came from the same kit. Other options would be they were from some unknown commercial or military kit or the original owner picked up some components and dipped them in the preservative himself to build his own kit. I am curious if the launcher shown is identical to the one in the leg holster kit. Mine is sealed up so I can't say.

[Mashsig]

Survival - Roger that.

 

Thanks for the information! I appreciate it!

 

I looked right at the contents list for the SEEK 2 kit on page 136 in Breuninger's book at least half a dozen times over the years and it never registered.

 

(I suspect that the Air Force's: SRU-31/P and Individual Survival Kit Airman's dominated my interest because I have these kits. I don't have either of the NAVY SEEK kits.)

 

As to the pieces coming from the same kit - I would agree. Yes I have also seen vendors at shows parting out kits to make more money. And yes he could have dipped the arrow head and the blades himself.

 

Also if the SEEK 2 kits are anything like the SRU-31/P and Airman's Individual kits - the outer and inner bags of the SEEK 2 kit may have disintegrated long ago leaving the components lose glued to the folding plastic sheet.

 

FRASS sold survival kits and components to the public. I do not know if FRASS made the SEEK 2 kits for the government.

 

My leg holster kit launcher is sealed in the hard outer plastic case with the flares. The launcher shown in Breuninger's book on page 41 looks like the standard issue USAF flare launcher with the lanyard ring on the knurled launcher spring cap from the M185, Signal Kit, Personnel Distress.

[Insaniac]

Here are a couple of flare kits; Penguin and I believe a Gyro Jet although it's not marked as such.

Anyone know what these are going for these days?

[1SG_1st_Cav]

I have the same set with the saw blade, knife blade, and arrow head. I posted images here on the forum a couple of years ago. I bought the set I have here on the forum way back in about 2008. I plan on taking it with me when I "Cross over the River"! Just in case I wake up in a bad place!

Danny

[Bwormuth]

Cool!

[Insaniac]

I have the same set with the saw blade, knife blade, and arrow head. I posted images here on the forum a couple of years ago. I bought the set I have here on the forum way back in about 2008. I plan on taking it with me when I "Cross over the River"! Just in case I wake up in a bad place!

Danny

 

Know anyone who might be interested in buying these?

Pete

 

[Insaniac]

Picked up a complete SRU-21/P Vest with working PRC-90 and strobe. Here's the flare pen with DOM of 12-72 on the flares.

Pete