siege1863 Posted March 19, 2008 Share #1 Posted March 19, 2008 Just picked up this grouping for $50.00! Includes a certificate of completion for the course in aircraft recognition; OCD-marked helmet; OCD-marked gas mask; OCD armband; and home-made semiphore flags! The owner, Herman Eluto, had just turned sixteen when he completed the GOC course. He was a resident of Manchester, New Hampshire, and was desginated a messenger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siege1863 Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share #2 Posted March 19, 2008 The helmet has a handmade insignia applied to the front. It appears to have been drawn on paper, painted, and then shellacked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siege1863 Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share #3 Posted March 19, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siege1863 Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share #4 Posted March 19, 2008 The armband has a nice two-piece patch and retains the original safety pin. On the reverse of the armband, there is a stamp where one recorded the city, state, name, and card number. The maker looks to be Hartmann, Inc. of Garfield NJ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siege1863 Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share #5 Posted March 19, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siege1863 Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share #6 Posted March 19, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Keith Posted March 19, 2008 Share #7 Posted March 19, 2008 Excellent home front grouping. BKW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason G Posted March 21, 2008 Share #8 Posted March 21, 2008 That is one nice setup. Good find for a good price! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siege1863 Posted March 24, 2008 Author Share #9 Posted March 24, 2008 Found this information on the Ground Observer Corps... The Ground Observer Corps was a branch of the Aircraft Warning Service. The volunteer civilian observers who staffed the GOC were appointees of the Fighter Command of the Army Air Forces. They reported directly to the Army and were under Army supervision. Qualifications were relatively simple--must speak English clearly and distinctly, and have good eyesight. On the East Coast, I Fighter Command was responsible in 1942 for the radar net from Maine to Florida, with priority given to 15 stations covering vital industrial centers from Maine to Virginia. By February of that year, about 9,000 volunteer observer posts had been established. The spotters had no official organization (beyond local units) until 15 July 1942, when the War Department created the AAF Ground Observer Corps. The job of the observers was to supplement the radar net by reporting the movements over land of all aircraft. Planes spotted by observer posts were reported to filter centers. Mr. Eluto was assigned to the Boston Filter. One estimate says that by April 1943, 1,500,000 persons served as volunteer observers throughout the country. One fact I did not know is that to boost morale (over time, many volunteers had become complacent, particularly due to the monotony) and to recognize service after 100 hours, an armband was given and, by 1943, silver medals awarded for periods up to 2000 hours. Regarding this grouping, a further search of the helmet revealed the initials of Mr. Eluto written on the inside! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atb Posted March 24, 2008 Share #10 Posted March 24, 2008 I learned from another web site that the British had a similar organization- the Royal Observers Corps. They apparently had members on board Allied ships during the Normandy landings to identify aircraft so as to prevent what happened in earlier invasions when Allied aircraft were subjected to "friendly" fire from Allied ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goosenheimer Posted March 17, 2016 Share #11 Posted March 17, 2016 Nice collection! Can anyone identify this odd armband. It is from North Dakota. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra 6 Actual Posted March 17, 2016 Share #12 Posted March 17, 2016 Nice collection! Can anyone identify this odd armband. It is from North Dakota. ThanksNeal Armband small.jpgIt's for the medical section of the High School Victory Corps (flip the patch around and the "V" will be more obvious). Here's a considerable amount of info on it: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/56509-high-school-victory-corps/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle5036 Posted March 21, 2016 Share #13 Posted March 21, 2016 Very nice WWII home front item! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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