WW2 US Navy Mark 1 Emergency Flask Kit

[Flightpath]

I finally found an unused WW2 USN aircrew Mark 1 Emergency Flask Kit, it´s in nice condition and complete, not cheap but I only wanted one......... A surprise was finding a small compass and saw blade inside, neither are listed in the contents list printed on the side, Dustin said this was normal.......

 

[Flightpath]

Here is the flask kit with my Hamilton 39102 US Marine pilot´s watch......... 2,926 of these white faced watches were made between 1943 and 1945 for Marine pilots with the rare 18 jewel 2987 movement. (not to be confused with the more common Hamilton 39108 watches with the 987S 17 jewel movement). 

 

 

[Ryan Reese]

Congratulations, great looking collection!

[sundance]

Very nice item. Was there some sort of seal on that originally?

[Flightpath]

9 minutes ago, sundance said:

Very nice item. Was there some sort of seal on that originally?

Yes, they had tape around the join at the lid and flask body. There is a rubber seal in the lid, after removing the contents the cap can be clipped back on to form a water flask.

[jerry_k]

Nice kit Flighpath! You bought is in Aero Antiques? 

 

I like you R88-W-800 USMC 39102 series watch. I have similar for my USMC aviator. Beautiful! 

 

Cheers,

Jerry

[dustin]

One minor correction, these did not have the caps taped or taped lid. That was the purpose of the gasket securing bail, a modified type of flask over its predecessor which was taped closed.

[Flightpath]

On 5/5/2022 at 10:35 PM, dustin said:

One minor correction, these did not have the caps taped or taped lid. That was the purpose of the gasket securing bail, a modified type of flask over its predecessor which was taped closed.

Thanks Dustin, appreciate the information.👍

[Flightpath]

On 5/4/2022 at 6:40 PM, jerry_k said:

Nice kit Flighpath! You bought is in Aero Antiques? 

 

I like you R88-W-800 USMC 39102 series watch. I have similar for my USMC aviator. Beautiful! 

 

Cheers,

Jerry

Military Antiques, Toronto.

[TexRdnec]

nice one!

[QuickBricks]

very nice!

 

one of those escaped me on ebay not too long ago. The sucrose tabs leaked though and had goo all over the other items so i passed. hard to find, but they do come up,

 

great collection!

[dustin]

That is actually quite typical, the tablets leeching like that. And to be honest, I'm partially suspicious about how clean those three tablet packets are in Flightpath's kit. Many years ago, Garcia Aviation reproduced these and were selling them like hot cakes. So beware, I'm not saying the ones in his kit are repros just that there is a chance, but could be wrong in this instance.

[QuickBricks]

I never knew that about the repros for this specific kit. Did that company make many  others? I checked their site and see nothing currently about any kits.

 

Everything else in the kit looks very legitimate to me from other kits that I have currently with the same contents.

The wear on the items like the rust, dents in the meds tube from age, the bullion circle stain on it, matches look legit AF, etc...

 

I do not however have any of the tablets. I know they came in some other kits or a kit that was sealed in metal I believe.

That was the only other kit I have ever seen those tablets looking so nice. All other flask kits I have seen they have been pretty gnarly.

 

Perhaps just the correct humidity and temp, etc...? I know some items can survive surprisingly well in 'unprotected' environments.

 

Cheers

 

 

[dustin]

They produced them 20 some years ago, I only commented on the tablet rations and did not infer that any other items were not legit.  Here is a scenario, empty Mark I flask are commonly around, you get three fake tablet rations, and take a common AAF flask kit E-3C and swap parts and bingo you have a complete assembly. The sulphaguanidine comes from an E-17.