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First-Aid Packet Carlisle Model “Carlisle bandage” a different angle


dmsusuki
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First-Aid Packet Carlisle Model “Carlisle bandage”

 

While searching through my garage, I discovered a dusty box with my World War 2 Medical items.  This is one piece of United States field gear that has been “overlooked” and placed at the end of the line in the militaria collector’s inventory.   This “overlooked” equipment was carried by every member of the armed forces during World War 2 and if not directly then indirectly in first aid kits, aeronautical first aid kits, vehicle first aid kits and applied with bravery by combat medics, navy corpsmen, a battle buddy, and those medical personal serving in front line positions.

 

The overlooked First-Aid Packet Carlisle Model “Carlisle bandage” was developed by the government to render aid to a wounded personal by others to increase a higher percentage of survival and hinder the introduction of infection.  More information and history can be found at the following url: 

 

https://www.med-dept.com/articles/history-development-of-the-carlisle-bandage/

 

My brief comments are based upon this website since it is the most complete and factual in my opinion.  There is much to know and learn of the many metal variations and the ingenuity of the private sector in package technology and the use of alternative materials to keep the integrity of the Carlisle bandage.

 

 

1074252363_20210719_195237(3).jpg.f74e1081ceef88d8d59b98b6913bba9d.jpg

Figure 1   Lower Left - First aid package - US Navy Contract June 30, 1915

               Lower Right - First aid package – US Army Contract August 1918

               Bauer & Black – Chicago, USA

               Pouch, First Aid Packet – M1910

 

1817790727_20210911_175236(2).jpg.f6bf33f421d4768ff63efb9655f8b0a2.jpg

Figure 2 Different manufactures of the First-Aid Packet Carlisle Model “metal Carlisle Model Bandage”

               post WW1 through early WW2.  Picture illustrates front and back

               Medical Department Equipment Laboratory [lower left – made with brass]

               Bauer & Black – Division of the Kendall Company, Chicago, Illinois [upper left and bottom                

               center – OD can made with copper Orange painted can made with brass]

               Handy Pad Supply Co., Worchester, Massachusetts [lower right - made with copper]

               Johnson & Johnson – New Brunswick, New Jersey and Chicago, Illinois [upper center - made  with copper]

               Acme Cotton Products Company – New York, New York [not mentioned in the above website]

               [upper right single container - made with copper and not embossed on the rear]

 

 

350269988_20210911_174618(2).jpg.3635d06dea03776fe72efd80c9059bd8.jpg

Figure 3 “Tenite” manufacture of the First- Aid Packet Carlisle Model “non-metal and copper Carlisle                     

                bandage” Acme Cotton Products Company – New York, New York

               Upper Left - Acme Cotton Products Tenite front. 

               Upper Right - Acme Cotton Products Copper version front and reverse contain no embossing “with sulfanilamide”

               Lower Left and Right – Acme Cotton Products Tenite reverse with different language denoting  sulfanilamide content.

 

 

1039730501_20210911_174820(2).jpg.0d2d865763d9e660da045056bc91ce79.jpg

Figure 4 The content of First-Aid Packet Carlisle Model “metal Carlisle bandage”

               Bauer & Black – Division of the Kendall Company, Chicago, Illinois [orange steel can and od                          

               green copper cans].  Same manufacturer different metal [copper verses steel] and font.

               Crystalline Sulfanilamide manufactured by Hynson, Westcott & Dunning, Inc. – Baltimore, MD

 

151933640_20210911_175003(3).jpg.33b0e55b986c3be7018c4e0a395e9d87.jpg

Figure 5 First-Aid Packet Carlisle Model “metal Carlisle bandage” Red verses Orange

              Left – Johnson and Johnson – New Brunswick, NJ Chicago, ILL. [copper]

              Right – Bauer and Black DIV.  of the Kendall Corporation Chicago [brass]

              There is a distinct difference between the colors of orange and a burgundy red as illustrated in   

              the Pantone color chart.  If the majority of the orange cans on the internet denote repacked          

              with sulfanilamide, the maker overwhelming is Bauer & Black.  I have not seen a Medical                          

             Department Equipment Laboratory made can repainted orange.  Why repaint the cans            

             burgundy red when the notice “with sulfanilamide” is stamped on the reverse?  The majority of              

             these burgundy red cans I see on the internet were contracted from Johnson and Johnson.  One           

             of the many mysteries of the collecting world.  There are no absolutes without factual evidence and conjecture is not proof.

 

20210912_182020.jpg.b68340de29ba5d7febfc540b933fba65.jpg

Figure 6 Other fascinating collectable medical related items

Collectables obtained and put into that box in the garage.  Please note the M1942 medical pouches and the two styles of First-Aid Packet Carlisle Model and wound tablets.  These artifacts were carried in the pacific theater and brought home.  Will post a bio later including the M1942 pouch bring back artifacts.

 

I hope you enjoyed this peek into our historical past.  This is not the tell all factual history of First-Aid Packet Carlisle Model “Carlisle bandage”.  There are many other examples which remain hidden in a government warehouse [foreign and domestic] or in your own collections.  Would it be wonderful to expand our military historical knowledge on this topic?  I hope you enjoyed this quick overview of the contents from the dusty box in my garage.

respectively,

Mark Susuki aka dmsusuki

 

 

 

 

 

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actually the first aid packets and pouches are widely collected.  People collect the pouches by pattern,dates and makers.  Same for the tins.

 

The Company of Military Historians actually published a very informative article on First aid packets

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Thanks for posting doyler.  The first aid packets and pouches are fun to collect and the variations are many.

The first two you show are actually Model 1907 packets.

The first carlisle packets were patented in the early 20's I think,

Here are the first Carlisle packets.  Still having the US Army stamped in the tin.

The upper one in brown is the older of the two.

The lower one in green is the newer having the actual patent number stamped on it.

20210918_084918.jpg

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The burgundy colored example may be a Navy issue.  I have a box of them somewhere and it has a Navy Stock number.  I think it was actually mid war dated also.  If I ever find it will post a pic. 

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Survival,

I hope you can find the info on the burgundy red example.  There have been talk of Navy issue but no conformation.

Good luck in finding.

dmsusuki

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Pep,

Great images.  The discussion was not about the pouches, but the different variations of the metal containers.  There are many more outstanding and undocumented containers and maybe manufactuers.  The images I posted are a mear drop in the bucket from my dusty and forgotten box of medical related militaria. 

thank you

dmsusuki 

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On 9/18/2021 at 10:20 PM, Survival said:

The burgundy colored example may be a Navy issue.  I have a box of them somewhere and it has a Navy Stock number.  I think it was actually mid war dated also.  If I ever find it will post a pic. 

 

I was told that about the maroon colored packet as well, mentioned by Survival being Navy. I think I seen a carton of those with USMD stock numbers as well which disproved that theory but also Navy Med stock numbers on other colors and styles as well. Also, I do not entirely agree with some of the content on the Med-Dept webpage, I know the webmaster and is a great guy and absolutely no disrespect. I just so happen to have the bulk of medical department specifications for these Carlisle packets which contradicts some of the information in that linked article. I think all will find it a but fascinating, so bare with me here.

 

There were two medical department specifications series for these Carlisle packets, No.'s 404 and 406. 404 was originally titled Packet, First Aid, Carlisle Model, Metal Covered, includes up to Amendment-M. I am missing -A, -B and -F and only up to -M. I'm not sure if there were anymore after that, but with the rest it will provide some valuable insight. Series 406 is for Dressing, First Aid that details the Large and Small and the entire series details either the paper carton w/cellophane and the eventual laminated covers.

 

Unfortunately I do not know when the metal covered type was formally adopted but it dates to as early as 24 May 1940. The original assembly of these metal covered packets did not include the sulfanilamide and was not prescribed by specification. The containers were to be of a stamped brass and the sealed container to be dipped in an Olive Drab lacquer as prescribed, from 14 August 1940 to 23 Sept 1940. I do not have -F, but Amendment-G of 24 April 1942 adds sulfanilamide. Pay attention here! it also now prescribes that the sealed container be dipped in a vermilion lacquer which is red. Here is another specific entry, in Amend-H of 2 June 1942 they prescribe that the sealed container be dipped in a maroon lacquer. Stopping here for a moment, the two variants that we see in both red and maroon or perhaps the orange-ish looking one can be explained by specification and are not service specific. Also what we have here and according to specifications is that the OD is pre-war and potentially inter-war and the red/maroon wartime. 

 

In amendment-I of 9 September 1942 the nomenclature changed to Packet, First Aid, Carlisle Model, Plastic Covered. The container was to be of a cellulose acetate and sealed with a strip or tape of either galvanized sheet metal or brass. It also states that it was to be dipped in an Olive Drab enamel. This remained in Amend-J of 26 October 1942. It is important to note that none of the specifications prescribed that the containers be stamped  "With Sulfanilamide", they talk about the stampings for the face but not a notification on the back. Perhaps companies that were assembling the packets from pre-war specs began stamping "with sulfanilamide" with its addition from Amend-G and possibly Amend-F, I wish I had -F because there is a big gap between -E of September 1940 and -G of April 1942, but I would have to assume the sulfa powder was a addition after declaration of war.

 

Are you ready for the next big shocker?

In Amendment-J of 5 February 1943 the nomenclature changed again to Packet, First Aid, Carlisle Model, With Laminated Bag and Double Sleeve. It is also important to note that sulfa powder was still included. It was also still included in Amendments -K of 15 February 1943 and -L of 10 March 1943. Amendment-M changed the nomenclature again to Packet, First Aid, Field Brown Dressing, Carlisle Model, With Laminated Bag and Double Sleeve, but deleted the sulfa powder. 

 

I believe this is where the packet or 404 series ended and there was not subsequent amendments because the laminated Carlisle packet is picked up in the other series for Dressing, First Aid, and as we know, it had superseded the metal packets and the sleeve type was for individual issue. So, according to these specifications the OD model was manufactured from 1940 into 1942 then transitioned for a short period to the red/maroon types followed by the acetate type but in February 1943 it was formally superseded by the laminated asphalt type with double sleeve. Contracts would had been allowed to process until completion of the former types and new production types would had taken some time to enter the supply chain, making 1943 a transition year. Of course, there must had been millions of the former metal types on procurement and remained in supply through the war and into surplus stock piles. Technically speaking, the metal packets should had been gone by 1944, any new or revised listings of medical equipment called for the laminated types. Additionally, the carton types with cellophane began to be surplus in late 1944 and into 1945 for civilian use, they too were superseded. They 406 series Large and Small are another topic.

 

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Above, starting in February 1943 we see the emergence of the new Carlisle packet but of a laminated wrapper in a double sleeve, at least by specification. The parallel evolution is that of the Large and Small Carlisle bandages titled Dressing, First Aid. Adopted as of 17 January 1939, from then to October 1941, both the Large and Small bandage cartons were to be wrapped in a paper sheet then dipped in melted paraffin, having exposed strings to tear open package. On 6 October 1941, the outer packaging was changed with a waterproof type carton and sealed in cellophane. This process remained the standard until 18 February 1943 (Amend-J) when the specification began citing the use of a laminated material, in line with Amend-M noted above. As of Amendment-L of specification No.406 the nomenclature changed to Dressing, First Aid, Field Brown, 10 July 1943. What we are seeing here are quite early changes to the packaging method and universal. Again, technically speaking the individual would have the laminated type with double sleeve and all other medical kits with the laminated Large and Small dressings (no sleeves). Now that is the rule and of course there are the variable of exceptions, most being obvious. Also to take into consideration is that of manufacturer variation. 

 

This is the drawing to Amendment-J

 

A.jpg.7494e02e324364f6616cbb142e2a05eb.jpg

 

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For clarification, the discussion was about the new type packets. Those posted by Pep are of an early type.

The new type were all prescribed to be stamped First-Aid Packet, U.S. Gov't.

 

Previous type with US ARMY posted by Pep.

Carlisle.jpg.ba4f7ac3a246e9ebebf5c9f65d81b04a.jpg

 

 

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I do not have a collection of these to make any real physical observations.

 

I wonder if the orange looking packet actually contains sulfanilamide, as per specification it should?

I wonder if it just a Mfg. variation which would explain color differential assembled as per the April 1942 specs.

450353639_carlisle2.jpg.6a381f421e33d9bb9b56646c0097e397.jpg

 

EDIT; I guess my answer is kind of answered here if the original inserts when packet was opened. (Note right orange looking packet)

 

1367310010_carlisle3.jpg.c542263c4003d94f765a59ea130a07c3.jpg

 

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14 hours ago, dustin said:

For clarification, the discussion was about the new type packets. Those posted by Pep are of an early type.

The new type were all prescribed to be stamped First-Aid Packet, U.S. Gov't.

 

Previous type with US ARMY posted by Pep.

Carlisle.jpg.ba4f7ac3a246e9ebebf5c9f65d81b04a.jpg

 

 

Sorry did not read that closely enough.

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Dustin,

great information...thank you

brings this topic more into focus.

would you have an image of a carton

of red cans with a navy stock number?

dmsusuki

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I do not of the red or maroon tins but we can illustrate US Navy, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery procurement of USMD specification packets. US Navy stock number S2-803, "S" prefix not always applied to medical Supplies.

Here are two master cartons with BuMed stock numbers for OD types.

 

958888687_Carlislebox.jpg.45f34aa6dd96565bcc18bd8929a1c305.jpg

2132222839_carlislebox2.jpg.b5f8c6441252380d7d6b6cf9e20eb606.jpg

 

2087502120_carlislebox6.jpg.a63dc7db2a126bc6d502ac3c80f99d8e.jpg

587615533_carlislebox7.jpg.1adc28e4c039741c038260fc67e6a69f.jpg

 

Here is a laminated type with BuMed stock number 2-396 (S2-396)

1906376290_carlislebox3.jpg.67263c009faabb10d8e91cf17e0868e2.jpg

carlisle box 5.jpg

carlisle box 4.jpg

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4 hours ago, dmsusuki said:

Dustin,

great information...thank you

brings this topic more into focus.

would you have an image of a carton

of red cans with a navy stock number?

dmsusuki

So those little numbers on boxes and equipment often tell a story. I would be interested in seeing a navy stock number on the salmon or orange colored tins. 

Here is a better image of the Navy procured laminated type. 

1295069324_carlislebox10.jpg.1623f8a3be25a31d74ca409cbe9020b6.jpg

 

A USMD procured green color type.

1859110108_carlislebox11.jpg.8ffffdf5dd35c6a81aa8d30fb5dc4404.jpg

 

Here is the first production type that did include sulfanilamide.

1711985180_carlislebox8.jpg.4a3a02b877947af1b2d1808204b23b0d.jpg

 

Example of the latter type with revised Field Brown in nomenclature.

1140527963_carlislebox9.jpg.4f62bd855f01efbe2a1b816869afccdb.jpg

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Something to consider with these packets is note the version of the metal tins with US Army, this was then omitted and replaced with the abbreviated US Government. What this suggests is that they were then joint Army/Navy adopted because that's when items typically received the encompassing property mark US Government. Often and especially in regards to medical items, other services that adopt an item under another departments specifications use theirs. As and example , when the aeronautic kit was finally approved for joint A/N the BuMed procured them under USMD specifications as with other medical items.  Same in the reverse with the first aid kit for pneumatic life rafts. So I do believe that these first aid packets, metal covered were joint A/N adopted and have shown they were procured by the BuMed from at least two contractors as illustrated above. I know there are the cartons with maroon tins as well but do not have an image, I'm sure someone here has a carton and maybe they will post it.

 

Here are some samples of the first aid kit for pneumatic life rafts. Note US Navy property mark and then US Govt., they still retain the US Navy stock number. The US Govt. marked carton was a joint A/N adopted item, the USMD assigned stock number was 97769 or 9776900 but never applied to carton only retaining the BuMed stock number.

 

pneumatic.JPG.5b4354390e79723b5bd216a57bd468f7.JPG

 

 

 

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Another interesting observation, which may not be nothing but worth a thought. Note the verbiage Requisition No. 3/5027-43. It is not Contract or Purchase Order (P.O. No.). Using the verbiage Requisition suggests the BuMed bought quantities of the packets by requisitioning on existing USMD contracts or simply on already existing fixed price contract already negotiated. A fixed price contract sometimes is just an agreed price per dozen or what have you, so anytime a requisition order was received they just produced them then sent a bill as per negotiated price. It also worth noting that Conray Products made a fortune from Navy contracts and where the BuMeds' favorite.

 

1093346075_Carlislebox.jpg.6027c420bd0139a1c01e830fe5575b9f.jpg

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So I do not collect these things snatching images from eBay and Google for reference here. I'm learning a little as I go as well.

One correction in post 15 is the green colored packet title with SMALL, this would technically be under Spec. 406 for Large and Small and not the Packet, First Aid. in that post you'll see two variants as detailed under Spec. 404, both of the significant amendments.

 

Here are at least three variants of those detailed under Spec. 406, there would be a matching Large bandage in wrapper style.

1076719621_carlislesmall2.jpg.b549d05deddc6654e26b529bbfd87b8d.jpg

1529150874_carlislebox11.jpg.75e1a7e7ad94ef24f8eaf8cb57c1f5ee.jpg

126827325_carlislesmall.jpg.5ada2b4bc12d88fbecfff174a5a6f3d0.jpg

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For additional reference, here are some US Navy contract bandages of both Small and Large as procured under USMD specification 406. The Large is stock number 2-391 and the Small as 2-396 same as the laminated type. Also another significant identifier is that of the contract number prefix N140s. Another helpful spot check is that the Navy often utilized the nomenclature BATTLE, so if you see that it is probably most certain it's Navy. But still retains hints to its origins having US Army Carlisle Model.

Hopefully this will help those that only collect USMD and filter out the Navy contract bandages, some may have to go shopping to replace them for your displays or kits. If you do both then its just a matter of shifting around!

 

819840562_carlislelarge2.jpg.cbc22cdf473d98fae86245accbb55832.jpg

1290876865_carlislelarge3.jpg.d8f615da619748e3f038963bf6e534ef.jpg

1790540749_carlislelarge.jpg.898964082a829f240e2ab927cf28a414.jpg

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As mentioned by Dustin above, an example of the U.S. Navy contract small battle dressing, Carlisle model, with N140S contract prefix and 2-396 stock number. The contract ran from March to August 1942:

 

 

 

IMG_3431a.JPG

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On 9/22/2021 at 11:03 AM, dmsusuki said:

Survival,

I hope you can find the info on the burgundy red example.  There have been talk of Navy issue but no conformation.

Good luck in finding.

dmsusuki

Here is the box I have with the burgundy examples.  Sorry it took so long....

 

 

IMG_0247.JPG

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Great additions Pararaft and Survival!

 

What is interesting at this point is that in the 1940 BuMed supply catalog it lists Packet, First Aid but with a stock number of 2-800. The maroon example by Survival has 2-801 and the camouflaged example in post #14 has 2-803, but note 2-801 has been blacked out. In evaluating the carton in post #14 from Bauer & Black it appears to be 2-801 as well. It is my understanding the BuMed assigned stock numbers in blocks of five. In 1940, there was 2-800 then jumps to 2-805, this was intentional to allow for updates. Seeing the consistentancy of 2-801, this would suggest an update with the new Packet, First Aid, Metal Covered and assigned the next sequential number. I wonder what first aid packet was 2-800, possibly the earlier tin types from WWI or perhaps a paper wrapped type? And why the jump to 2-803 for the same packet.
Ignorance is bliss! because what we have here are questions answered but replaced with more questions.

The maroon Johnson & Johnson contract 140s-16015 was awarded in January 1943

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On 9/17/2021 at 8:39 PM, doyler said:

actually the first aid packets and pouches are widely collected.  People collect the pouches by pattern,dates and makers.  Same for the tins.

 

The Company of Military Historians actually published a very informative article on First aid packets

 

Doyler, where can we read this article? I'm curious to what information they have.

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