Locks/keys on WWII camp buildings

[mmerc20]

Ok. Here is a unique question. What locks/keys were primarily used on 800 series buildings during WWII? I know the barracks probably werent locked, but what about admin buildings? We found this old key in the old dump area of Camp Butner and it had the numbers 1018 stamped on it. Im probably reaching, but according to my map, building T-1018 was a battalion administration building.

 

Did they use skeleton-like keys for camp buildings?

 

Mike

[The Rooster]

We grew up in a house built in 1942 and all the locks had keys like that. Including the back door cellar door and all the interior doors and closets. So my guess is yes they used those type of keys and locks.

[The Rooster]

For those who never experienced life in a ww2 era barracks it was quite the experience.

I trained in the early 80's at Fort Mc Coy Wisconsin. When we werent in the field we stayed in WW2 era Barracks.

What was different about them? Mainly, the heating system. You had to have a coal fire going in the boiler for hot water and

coal for the furnace in the winter. No air conditioning. Big floor standing fans...... Always a big pile of coal outside on the side of every barracks in a concrete retainer. Low wall.

And the bathrooms. Ah yes the WW2 era Bathrooms. Not a place for the modest or shy.

The toilets were 2 rows of three toilets facing each other with no partions of any kind no doors.

Just drop trow and say hi to your buddy sitting across from you.

The shower was a square room with 6 or 8 spigots. The urinal was a long trough on one wall.

I think there were 6 sinks. In the late 80's most all the barracks at McCoy were modernised.

They left a couple as museum pieces. It was a real change to come in from the field and take a shower in a private stall and do you buisness in a private toilet with walls... after they modernised them. The WW2 barracks Man!!! not what people are used to now.

[AustinO]

Some of the WWI/WWII buildings at Fort Snelling (here in MN) used similar keys - but I would assume that was the height of door lock technology at the time.

 

For what its worth, I would take your specific building theory and run with it.

[illinigander]

Austin- nothing about keys- but did you dig in the range backstop area? The fellow I got a machine gun ammo cart from gave me some fired M-3 37mm rounds and said he and his buddy dug a tank turret buried in the soil and were working on how to remove it.

illinigander

[AustinO]

Austin- nothing about keys- but did you dig in the range backstop area? The fellow I got a machine gun ammo cart from gave me some fired M-3 37mm rounds and said he and his buddy dug a tank turret buried in the soil and were working on how to remove it.

illinigander

 

Whats left of the range backstop/pits is on Federal managed land (there is actually a Fed small arms range over part of it) - no access to that area unless a Federal employee. The rest of that end of the range is under water. Whats left of the firing line is on an island that is tough to get to. I have walked it, but with regular spring flooding there is nothing to note of interest besides the occasional 30 cal casing.