Engineers tool box

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Silly's MB
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Engineers tool box

Post by Silly's MB » Mon Jun 06, 2016 1:03 am

Hi Guys,
Thank to a tip off from Hartofoak I managed to acquire this great engineers tool box :D
It came from a barn in Lancashire UK.Unfortunately no history is known of it.
I am guessing its probably USAAF.

It looks to of belonged to a Technical Sergeant J Reid and was box number 6.

Other markings include
Hawley 5th Rep.
97
A very nice white star with a 6 in the centre.

I am no expert on US markings so they could mean anything to me, any ideas ?

It all opens and works but the drawer runners need a little cleaning out and oil.
Unfortunately it is missing the front lift up cover which secures the drawers in place.
The drawers one were baize lined once but this is in a bad state.
Engineers box drawers a.jpg
Engineers box drawers a.jpg (160.52 KiB) Viewed 3269 times
Engineers box drawers.jpg
Engineers box drawers.jpg (179.01 KiB) Viewed 3269 times
Engineers box top.jpg
Engineers box top.jpg (188.7 KiB) Viewed 3269 times
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Re: Engineers tool box

Post by Silly's MB » Mon Jun 06, 2016 1:04 am

Engineers box star.jpg
Engineers box star.jpg (227.38 KiB) Viewed 3268 times
tool box USAAF.jpg
tool box USAAF.jpg (192.67 KiB) Viewed 3266 times
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Re: Engineers tool box

Post by Gordon_M » Mon Jun 06, 2016 4:48 am

Great to see it ended up in good hands. :D It was pointed out to me too but I'd a tad over-subscribed on the box front at the minute. The location of the seller wasn't that far from the big USAAC/F facility at Burtonwood, but a lot of that stuff was apparently sold off through Thompson and Doxey ( spelling? ) of Southport too.

I wondered if the white star and REP hinted that this had been issued with a repair truck of some kind? I'm not sure how much work would be in re-making that front flap.
Gordon

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Re: Engineers tool box

Post by Silly's MB » Mon Jun 06, 2016 5:11 am

Thanks Gordon,
I am glad I wasn't bidding against you !

I wondered about Burtonwood which was home to the 97th airdrome squadron for a while and links to the 97th Bomb Group.

I have looked at other boxes and agree that the front could be knocked up quite easily.
It has the remains of a Kennedy Kits label on the top. It seems to resemble Chest number 27 in a catalogue that I have but it is missing the side handles and has different knobs.
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Re: Engineers tool box

Post by daveus6 » Mon Jun 06, 2016 6:37 pm

The 5th REP text could possibly be "5th Repair Squadron" and the 97 could indeed be the Airdrome Squadron or possibly the 97th Air Depot Group. Below is one example of a unit associated with the USAAF 5th Airforce stationed in Townsville, Queensland here in Australia during WW2. The excerpt is from the comprehensive listings of military units stationed in Australia on the website ozatwar.com .

15th Air Depot Group
- HQ
- 15th Repair Squadron
- 29th Repair Squadron
- 15th Supply Squadron
- 194th Ordnance Dep. Coy.
- 1558th Ordnance Depot Coy.
- 1702nd Ordnance Medium Maintenance ( Aviation)
- 2486th Q.M. Truck Coy. (Aviation)

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Re: Engineers tool box

Post by Silly's MB » Tue Jun 07, 2016 12:30 am

Thanks Dave,
I have found a Technical Sergeant Harold J. Hawley of the 5th Air Depot Group (including 5th depot repair squadron) This could be a possible match for the yellow stencilling which is over the top of the white stencilling.
stencilling.jpg
stencilling.jpg (203.21 KiB) Viewed 3185 times
He spent three years in England doing major repair on battle damaged B-17s.
Bronze Star, EAME, Good Conduct Medal, Victory Medal.
http://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/86704

He was enlisted in 1941 on the 8th December( one of many on that day I guess).
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Re: Engineers tool box

Post by pjones » Tue Jun 07, 2016 6:47 am

Roger,
That is a very cool find! No doubt there is a unique enjoyment experienced when you can attribute an item to a specific person/mechanic and then learn more about them. I don't believe I have ever found an item with a name attached to it. Plenty with initials and USA though. Seems to me I remember someone posting a walden box with a mechanics name on the lid that led to some personal info after a simple google search.
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Re: Engineers tool box

Post by Joe Gopan » Tue Jun 07, 2016 6:58 am

This is also the same box issued to Machinists in the Army.
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Re: Engineers tool box

Post by d42jeep » Tue Jun 07, 2016 7:06 am

Here is the link to Hellfire's thread that included Wingnutt's search of the name scratched onto John's excellent Walden box.

viewtopic.php?f=48&t=244882

-Don
PS. Roger, that is a great find on the box.
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Re: Engineers tool box

Post by Silly's MB » Tue Jun 07, 2016 8:40 am

Ben Dover wrote:This is also the same box issued to Machinists in the Army.
I think Machinists is the more correct name for this box as you say Ben.
As far as I know during ww2 they were issued with the 41-B1840 box as shown by Don in his excellent thread
viewtopic.php?f=48&t=271857

Although I think I may model my tool set on Dons as I think it would go very and as yet I have to find out what would go in the USAAF version.

Phil,
It is certainly nice to find a toolbox named to somebody with some vague connection, whether I ever find out for sure remains to be seen, at least I have 2 names to start with. :D
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Re: Engineers tool box

Post by Hartofoak » Sun Jun 12, 2016 2:01 am

Congratulations "Silly's MB", on acquiring your box. So glad it went to a good home and that it did no not cause ownership issues! Great example of how an object can lead to a historical link to an actual person. Good luck in your further research. My own genealogy interests have led me to some amazing personal links and stories, so likewise you'll perhaps track down some descendants of the toolbox's wartime owners.
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Re: Engineers tool box

Post by henry501 » Sun Jun 12, 2016 8:43 am

Roger,

Awesome engineer's box. Can tou make out the manufacturer's name from (what looks like) the remnants of the label/decal on the inside of the top lid?

Thank you,
Henry

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Re: Engineers tool box

Post by Silly's MB » Mon Jun 13, 2016 2:28 am

Henry, It is a 'Kennedy Kits' similar to Wingnutt's.

I think the label would be the same as Dons picture .viewtopic.php?f=48&t=271998&p=1596378#p1596305

I have seen catalogue references from 1938, 42,49 and 52 , none of them seem to show drawers with the button knobs ,they normally have bent steel handles.

The catch is nickel plated and has the number 492 stamped into it.

I have seen The front door with a pull handle on the front like Wingnutts and also just a finger hole.
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Re: Engineers tool box

Post by Wingnutt » Mon Jun 13, 2016 5:14 am

Uh, I guess I'm a little slow on the uptake this week, Rog. I didn't notice that we picked up very similar boxes within a week or so of each other or I surely would've pointed it out! That's neat. And yours all marked-up with wartime stenciling definitely gives me a little more confidence that mine is wartime.
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Re: Engineers tool box

Post by Wingnutt » Mon Jun 13, 2016 5:35 am

Silly's MB wrote:Unfortunately it is missing the front lift up cover which secures the drawers in place.
Unless I'm mistaken, it also serves as a little work surface. My intuition could be off, but I'm assuming the dimples are to prevent small bits and hardware from rolling off and getting lost.

Image
Silly's MB wrote:The drawers one were baize lined once but this is in a bad state.
Mine too. I already removed it. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the chest, but if I keep it, I may replace the lining with felt lining.

One difference I noted, Roger, was the drawer interiors. My middle and bottom drawers have no partitions. My top drawer has several partitions. But I noticed when removing the desiccated baize, that they are not permanently installed. They are movable and removable. Six (6) total. Each one is basically two pieces: the partition, and a tension clip. So you can set up your compartments any way you want. Are yours the same?
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