WW2 match case found in Grandpa's diddy bag. (compass on bakelite container)

[dustin]

Can you post a picture of it Brian? I suspect now we are talking about the Taylor sets.

[BROBS]

alright... Here is the original one from the thread.

The one that my Grandpa had from WW2... he was with the 36th Seabees.

No idea how he got it.. whether purchased, traded, issued, etc..

 

 

[BROBS]

And the one I found in Galveston, TX.

You can see it's red rather than brown, despite the different lighting used in the pics.

 

 

[BROBS]

feel free to

[BROBS]

So it appears I have a Taylor with the color of the Dupage that CC owns.....

 

interesting...

-Brian

[dustin]

For now we should keep the Taylors and Dupage models separate. Since this I have uncovered some more documents about the Taylor types, in particular the Taylor match safe compass was developed upon a coordinated effort between the USQMC and Bureau of Aeronautics. By you finding the red safe you highlighted the additional story. These were made red intentionally as per naval aeronautical specification M-554 for life raft equipment. Brown and red were being made simultaneously for each of the two services.

The post by Patrick fills in one blank in that the QM dropped this pattern in lieu of other accurate compasses and switching to a simplified safe. This is reflected in the August 1943 supply catalog, Box, Match, Waterproof, with Compass is listed as Limited Standard. This also is relevant to the USAAF eliminating this safe in accessories for life rafts earlier in the year. In addition since this match safe was being used by multiple services it was decided to revise and re-designate under a joint Army/Navy specification. The red safe met initial requirements for visibility however there was a shortage in early 1943 supplementing deliveries to naval contracts on life raft equipment for the brown type so both colors were used by the BuAer. Color was found to be irrelevant but found the safe could be easily lost hence the addition of the tab for a 3' lanyard to secure the safe under AN specification AN-C-101 officially superseding the other two types (color only) in the spring of 1943, however the USAAF had no interest and was predominately used by the BuAer until it to was slowly replaced by the new magnetic card type in late 1944 through 1945.

 

[BROBS]

Now that is some greatly interesting information there, Dustin!

 

So I managed to gather both types basically by accident.

 

-Brian

[dustin]

Now for the Dupage compasses. This direct reading compass was a mid war development in 1944 for the AAF however Dupage was no the supplier of this compass match safe, Livingston Plastics were. Dupage is a late player to the AAF for the C-1 vest if at all and the reason these are so common is the fact they were made post war for the scout and outdoor industry and most likely most of these in collections are post war manufacturer. Adds can be seen in Boys Life, Field and Stream etc. from the late forties early fifties. A free booklet was printed available for each purchase and in it they boost about the compass for the war effort, many companies rode the tail of the immediate post war era for sales.

There is no correlation between the red Taylor and Dupage safes.

 

[dustin]

To help illustrate some more attached is a picture of a Livingston (right) and a Dupage (left), note the details of the sighting window. The Livingston has 90 degree corners an the Dupage rounded. Also note the Livingston has knurls on the cap were as the Dupage does not.

[dustin]

This is a listing for the compass match safe in the 1945 Air Sea Rescue equipment catalog. Note the distinctive characteristics of the Livingston in this photocopied image, it has 90 corners on window and knurled cap however the You Are Looking is slightly different it has all other signs pointing to Livingston. It is also important to note that to date I have not observed any Livingston with the striker nor does it mention or list a striker in the supply catalog. To further note non of my documents from the AAF mention a striker on the safes, of course we do not get a 360 degree look at the body in the listing but we could assume between the two separate pictures they were not exactly at the same point almost giving us a full 360 degree look.

[dustin]

This is basically what we are looking for in regards to the striker, this on a Dupage safe. One would think this would be evident if a feature on a wartime safe in the listing and highlighted or at least a possible visual upon the orientation between the two pictures.

[dustin]

For additional fun here are some more variations of match safes used during the war in various configurations.

[ccyooper]

Dustin,

As always a well written and documented thread. Thank you. Wasn't the striker attached to the bottom of the safe? Don't recall if I have a Livingston in my collection to compare.

 

Was the Marble's metal match safe included in some of the kits during WWII? I believe I have seen it shown in some of the WWII component kits. I've got 2-3 variations of those without compass stashed somewhere, I'll have to try to find them when I get home after the holidays.

 

Regards,

CC

[BROBS]

CC...

agree. Dustin has really "made" this thread.

 

-Brian

[dustin]

Made? no..just added what I know is all.

The Livingston and Dupage compasses I have personally dubbed the pattern 44 because the have an AAF 1944 drawing number. The stiker was on the bottom of the Taylor type but on the pattern 44 they are on the back and Dupage only*.

Marbles and Everdry match safes were used by the AAC then the AAF as early as 1934, they were finally replaced with the acetate type far left safe in post #39.

[dustin]

.

[Ronny67]

feel free to

coffee_talk_linda_richman11384268890.jpg

 

[GIJive]

I've always spelled it "diddy"?

 

I wonder how he would have acquired this? He was a Seabee in the South Pacific..

 

ditty bag

Also found in: Encyclopedia.

ditty bag

n.

A bag used by armed forces personnel to carry small items such as sewing implements.

[Origin unknown.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ditty bag

n

1. (Nautical Terms) a sailor's cloth bag for personal belongings or tools. A box used for these purposes is termed a ditty box

[C19: perhaps from obsolete dutty calico, from Hindi dhōtī loincloth, dhoti]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

dit′ty bag`

n.

a small bag used esp. by sailors to hold sewing implements, toiletries, etc.

[1855–60; of obscure orig.]

[BROBS]

I think we've established that..

but thanks.

 

-Brian

[dustin]

I think I may have pretty solid evidence that the red Dupage compass match safe is commercial.

add from the Boys Life Magazine 1946: note the marbling look on the safe pictured which is a distinctive feature on the red model also to the right of the add one line item says "Shatterproof, Mahogany plastic case".

[Survival]

I agree the red Dupage is more then likely commercial. I actually have a red one with the commercial box and commercial manual shown. It seems to me they state in that booklet that they supplied them to the AAF during the war.