WWII Office Supplies - ETO

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AirCorpsClerk
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WWII Office Supplies - ETO

Post by AirCorpsClerk » Wed Jun 20, 2018 10:14 am

As my username partially implies, my primary interest is in WWII clerical items, primarily Office Supplies and forms/paperwork.

As time allows I'll be going line-by-line with the list of office supplies outlined in Circular 23, ETOUSA, March 9th 1944 and including photos where I have an item matching the size and description on the list.
I don't have access to any military catalogs or spec lists from WWII, so the only reference I have is the list in Cir 23.

I am nowhere near the point where I have an example of everything on the list, and to that effect I'm always looking to buy original WWII US military office supplies, any condition, any quantity, from anywhere in the world.

I should also say upfront that many of the items I have right now aren't military, just as not many are WWII, but everything I'll picture here will be an item that matches the sizes and descriptions on the list.


The List:

BINDERS, loose leaf, 3-ring, 11 x 8-1/2"

BOOKS, blank, pocket, 3-1/2 x 6"
BOOKS, blank, note, stenographic
BOOKS, record, drill, 8-3/4 x 13-3/4"

BRUSHES, typewriter, machine dusting
BRUSHES, typewriter, type cleaning

CARDS, guide, field desk, company, alphabetical
CARDS, guide, field desk, company, daily
CARDS, guide, field desk, company, misc
CARDS, guide, field desk, company, monthly
CARDS, guide, field desk, regiment, misc
CARDS, index, filing, 3 x 5"
CARDS, index, filing, 5 x 8"

CLIPS, paper, wire, gem
CLIPS, paper, wire, ideal, large
CLIPS, paper, wire, ideal, medium

CRAYONS, chalk, white

ENVELOPES, mailing, 2-1/2 x 4-1/4" kraft
ENVELOPES, mailing, 3-3/4 x 5-7/8" kraft
ENVELOPES, mailing, 4-1/8 x 9-1/2" kraft
ENVELOPES, mailing, 5 x 11-1/2" kraft
ENVELOPES, mailing, 6-1/2 x 9-1/2" kraft
ENVELOPES, mailing, 8-1/2 x 11-1/2" kraft
ENVELOPES, mailing, 10 x 15" kraft
ENVELOPES, mailing, 3-7/8 x 8-7/8 white

ERASERS, rubber, pencil, oblong
ERASERS, rubber, typewriter

FASTENERS, paper, 2-3/4", 1" capacity
FASTENERS, paper, 2-3/4", 2" capacity

FOLDERS, file, manila, 9-1/2 x 11-3/4"
FOLDERS, file, manila, 9-1/2 x 14-7/8"

INK, duplicating, black, 1-lb can
INK, numbering machine, black, 2oz
INK, stamp pad, black, 2oz
INK, stamp pad, red, 2oz
INK, writing, blue-black, 1 qt
INK, writing, red, 1 pt

LABELS, paper, gummed, 1-3/4 x 1-15/16"

MUCILAGE, gum, 4 oz bottle

OIL, typewriter, 2 oz bottle

PADS, ink, duplicating machine, 8-1/4 x 16"
PADS, memo, white, 3 x 5"
PADS, memo, white, 8 x 10-1/2"
PADS, stamp, dry, 3-1/4 x 6-1/4"

PAPER, blotting, 3 x 9-1/2"
PAPER, blotting, 19 x 24"
PAPER, carbon, typewriter, 8 x 10-1/2"
PAPER, carbon, typewriter, 8 x 13"
PAPER, computing machine, 2-15/16"
PAPER, mimeograph, 8 x 10-1/2"
PAPER, mimeograph, 8 x 13"
PAPER, stencil, duplicating, 8-1/2 x 14-1/2"
PAPER, typewriter, bond, 8 x 10-1/2"
PAPER, typewriter, bond, 8 x 13"
PAPER, typewriter, manifold, 8 x 10-1/2"
PAPER, typewriter, manifold, 8 x 13"

PASTE, office, with brush, 4 oz jar

PENCILS, lead, colored, blue
PENCILS, lead, colored, green
PENCILS, lead, colored, red
PENCILS, lead, No 1
PENCILS, lead, No 2
PENCILS, lead, No 3
PENCILS, lead, No 4

PENHOLDERS, wood

PENS, writing, steel

PINS, office, pyramid

RIBBONS, typewriter, record

RULERS, maple, 12" or 18"

STAPLES, paper fastening, 5,000 to box

TACKS, thumb, steel, 3/8", 1/2", 5/8"

TAGS, shipping, 5-1/4 x 2-5/8"

TAPE, linen finish, 72 yds
TAPE, paper, transparent, 5/8" wide, 12 yards per roll

VARNISH, stencil correction fluid, 1oz bottle

WAX, sealing, red, 4oz sticks


Feel free to post photos of any of these items and/or their packaging from your own collections as well. That way we'll all have a good record of what these items look like, so we all will have a better idea of what to look out for when we're at flea markets, auctions, estate sales, on eBay, etc.


Cheers!

Cody F.
The Air Corps Clerk


chibobber
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Re: WWII Office Supplies - ETO

Post by chibobber » Sat Jun 23, 2018 6:22 am

A couple of places to look.
Service of Supply,repo printed items.
Hayes Otoupalik,has some original forms and envelopes.look through all the listings as it is scattered.
Good luck

AirCorpsClerk
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Re: WWII Office Supplies - ETO

Post by AirCorpsClerk » Sun Jun 24, 2018 10:26 am

chibobber wrote:
Sat Jun 23, 2018 6:22 am
A couple of places to look.
Service of Supply,repo printed items.
Hayes Otoupalik,has some original forms and envelopes.look through all the listings as it is scattered.
Good luck
I have gotten some envelopes from Hayes. They were 6-1/2 x 9-1/2" ones.
He also has/had original blotter paper listed on his site, but unfortunately he is sold out.


As for repros, I stay away from stuff like that. I either stick to originals, or I go with period commercial items and/or somewhat newer-made equivalents of the same size/materials if need be for a placeholder.

When it comes to paperwork, eventually I plan on stocking my desk with true reproduction paperwork. But first I have to acquire originals of each form first so I can match paper stocks and typefaces before I have plates etched and I set about commissioning letterpress shops.
WWII office supplies and paperwork expert.
US Army clerk living historian.

1941 Field Desk
1942 Records Chest
1942 US Army Corona “Silent” typewriter
BD-72 switchboard serial no. 443 (working)
BD-72 switchboard serial no. 16 (under restoration)
BD-91 switchboard serial no. 11 (working) [missing stand]
AN/TIQ-2 Public Address Set

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Re: WWII Office Supplies - ETO

Post by 17thAirborne » Sun Jun 24, 2018 11:16 am

This could be an interesting thread for all of those who have a field file chest. Mine is in storage otherwise i'd get some images posted.
Oz

Feb 43 GPW 98532 USA 20206257
Oct 70 Land Rover Series 2a 25334079G NZ16GF36
http://gpw.castraponere.com/ (My Restoration Page)

AirCorpsClerk
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Re: WWII Office Supplies - ETO

Post by AirCorpsClerk » Mon Jul 16, 2018 1:27 pm

Here are some photos of the pencils that I carry/use in my Field Desk as part of my AAF Clerk impression.

This is the overall grouping of the pencils i use:

Image

Dixon Ticonderoga No.1, No.2, and No.3. I have yet to acquire any No.4.
Venus Verithin red, and TUFF-TEX green and blue.
I keep two loose examples of each of these in the writing utensil tray of the the upper drawer of my field desk.


Here's a closeup of the different metal-saving ferrules. I arranged these from the earliest to the latest.

Image

The No.2 pencils on the left have the short-lived cardboard ferrule from 1942.
The No.1 pencils in the center have the first rendition of the phenolic plastic ferrule that was introduced in late 1942.
The No.3 pencils on the right have the second rendition of the the phenolic plastic ferrule that came about likely sometime in 1943 or 1944.


This is the rear of the Venus Verithin packaging showing the copyright date:

Image


This is the opposite side of the TUFF-TEX packaging:

Image


I'll do the erasers separately in my next post, then I'll begin moving down the list based on the items that I currently have examples of.
WWII office supplies and paperwork expert.
US Army clerk living historian.

1941 Field Desk
1942 Records Chest
1942 US Army Corona “Silent” typewriter
BD-72 switchboard serial no. 443 (working)
BD-72 switchboard serial no. 16 (under restoration)
BD-91 switchboard serial no. 11 (working) [missing stand]
AN/TIQ-2 Public Address Set

AirCorpsClerk
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Re: WWII Office Supplies - ETO

Post by AirCorpsClerk » Mon Jul 16, 2018 1:50 pm

Here are the erasers I use, plus one I own but don't actually carry/use.
I don't have any info as to whether or not these are the correct suppliers in terms of actual military contracts and the federal specs, but they are period correct pieces.

Image

The Eberhard Faber 100 is my "display" eraser as it is a period correct piece, but I only have a very limited quantity of them.
The Ruwe 206 is my "user" eraser as I haven't been able to put a date to them yet, but I have an mostly full case of them, so it's no real consequence to use or loose them.
The Eberhard Faber 102 is both my display and user typewriter eraser. It's not the common shape of typewriter erasers, but it is an original period piece and is still in good condition to be used.
The Eberhard Faber 1080 is actually the most correct typewriter eraser to use in terms of being correct for the wartime era and the more common shape of typewriter erasers. The blue disc in the center is even made of cardboard to save on metals, and is dated 1942.

I'll add some detail photos of the 1080s, including the wartime packaging and a pre-war example of a 1080 typewriter eraser, in another reply.
WWII office supplies and paperwork expert.
US Army clerk living historian.

1941 Field Desk
1942 Records Chest
1942 US Army Corona “Silent” typewriter
BD-72 switchboard serial no. 443 (working)
BD-72 switchboard serial no. 16 (under restoration)
BD-91 switchboard serial no. 11 (working) [missing stand]
AN/TIQ-2 Public Address Set


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