WWII USN USMC Life Preserver Belt ("APRIL 1943") in Carton! Mint NOS Unissued!

Description: WWII USN USMC Pneumatic Life (Preserver) Belt, Type B P 6 ("APRIL 1943") in Carton! Mint NOS Unissued! In addition to the Naval personnel aboard ship, MARINES, and Army infantrymen being transported to beachheads, when above deck, wore both the THIS mid-war dated single-bladder PNEUMATIC LIFE BELT as well as the more recognizable dual-bladder "M26" PNEUMATIC LIFE BELT... to students of the June 6,1944 D-Day Invasion. This is actually somewhat SCARCER of the two variants of the 'fold-over' single-bladder LIFE BELTS that appeared late-1942. This 'improved' version has a continuous Waist Strap that ran the entire length of the Belt. (The first fastened around the wearer's waist by means of a short strap with two nickeled Snap Hooks that fastened to two nickeled 'D" Rings.) This is a "museum-grade" example from April 1943 that has survived in a "time-capsule-state-of-preservation" in original CARTON of issue from the Firestone Tire and Rubber Co., Inc. of Akron, Ohio! This particular example was manufactured contemporaneous with virtually every amphibious operation of the United States Marine Corps in the Pacific Theater beginning with Guadalcanal! CONDITION! CONDITION! CONDITION! The intact Pasteboard Carton (15-1/4" x 5-1/2" x 1-1/2") is marked: ONE PNEUMATIC LIFE BELT (Type B P 6) Contract No. ___ NOs - NXSS-17152 THE FIRESTONE TIRE & RUBBER CO., AKRON, OHIO MADE IN U.S.A. The dimensions of the LIFE BELT: Unfolded/inflated: 40" x 10" Folded/uninflated: 40" x 5" ***** PARTICULARS OF CONDITION: + Absolutely MINT rubberized KHAKI fabric is supple, flexible, with ZERO cracks, rips, holes, marks, stains, cracks, flaws of any kind!!! + Single pneumatic -bladder. + Single supple rubber Inflation HOSE with a bright nickeled brass "Schrader" Valve marked: *Schrader* MADE IN USA 8665 + Single adjustable 1" KHAKI web WAIST STRAP with nickeled 'T' closure BUCKLE of cast aluminum. The Waist Strap can be adjusted by a cast aluminum 'ladder' BUCKLE. The STRAP threads through five BELT LOOPS (3" x 3-1/2") glued to the belt. + Stamped in black ink on one side of the Belt: U.S. NAVY APR 3 1943 CONTRACT No. NXSS 17152 THE FIRESTONE TIRE AND RUBBER CO. AKRON, OHIO CAUTION KEEP THIS VALVE CLOSED WHEN WEARING BELT WEAR STRAP NEXT TO BODY FOLD ON THIS LINE OUT SIDE FRONT THIS EDGE DOWN +++++Note: This is a heavy item. Any overage in postage will be refunded! +++++ Background: Pneumatic LIFE BELTS, (especially the DUAL-BLADDER "M26" model), often exclusively associated by collectors with the D-Day invasion of Europe 6 June 1944, but these 'fold-over' SINGLE-BLADDER Type B P 6 were in use service wide in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters by the U.S.M.C. and the Navy. Their implementation was an alternative to the bulky Kapok of cork vest types for working parties or where space restrictions did not allow the use of the Kapok and cork types. Life preservers were not always worn but stored at specific locations and donned during call to battle stations. Carrier deck crews were something a little different, working topside they risk falling overboard in those hazardous conditions, therefore it was important to wear a safety device in case of an event. The pneumatic life preserver belt did not hamper their hectic work duties shuttling planes, loading armament or whatever may need to be required on the tremendously busy and dangerous flight deck. Numerous photos from the Pacific theater establish this Life Belt's use by Marines when on deck, officers on the bridge, as well as Naval personnel working on planes and equipment on the pitching decks of aircraft carriers and destroyer on rolling seas. +++++ FIRESTONE TIRE AND RUBBER CO. The Early Years Harvey S. Firestone, a fourth-generation farmer from Columbiana, Ohio, founded the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company in 1900, in Akron, Ohio – a city that would later become known as “Rubber City.” At a time when manufacturers were focused on building tires for automobiles, Harvey had something more in mind. He dreamed of putting rubber tires on farm tractors. Firestone soon began producing its own tires, and by 1906, sales passed the million-dollar mark and the brand was on its way to becoming a household name. By 1918, Firestone's "Ship by Truck" movement pioneered the trucking industry and forever changed the shipping industry. Rising to the Top In the 1930´s, Harvey Firestone set out to improve on the steel wheels of the early farming tractors. In addition to their hard ride and relentless vibration, the wheels often slipped and provided little traction. Firestone "Put the Farm on Rubber" by offering the first practical low-pressure pneumatic tractor tire. The increased economy, traction, and comfort was an obvious win as farmers nationwide converted to rubber-tired wheels. The success of the innovations paid off. Firestone celebrated 50 years of business and grew from a small company to a worldwide organization with more than 70,000 employees. And by 1955, Firestone was producing one million pounds of rubber each day and had become the world's largest rubber producer. By 1975, Firestone emerged as a multi-billion dollar, diversified, international manufacturing and merchandising enterprise, with operations in 28 countries and six continents. ***** The American Automobile Industry in World War Two An American Auto Industry Heritage Tribute by David D Jackson Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in World War Two Akron, OH 1900-Present (Since 1988 as part of Bridgestone) Headquarters are now in Nashville, TN * The Firestone Rubber and Latex plant in Fall River, MA won the Army-Navy "E" Award three times. * Firestone Textiles, a subsidiary of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in Bennettsville, SC won the Army-Navy "E" Award once. * The Firestone Rubber and Rubber Company, Nebraska Defense Corporation, Nebraska Defense Plant, Fremont, won the Army-Navy "E" Award once. * Firestone Textiles, a subsidiary of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in Gastonia, NC won the Army-Navy "E" Award three times. * The Firestone Park plants in Akron, OH won the Army-Navy "E" Award three times. * The original award was presented to the Firestone workers in a ceremony in front of the plant on March 27, 1944 Firestone Tire and Rubber's World War Two Product Statistics: 7,762 barrage balloons, 600,000 bullet proof fuel and oil cells, 24,500 drop tanks, 2,250 C-46 wing sets (3,198 C-46s built), 1,277,000 aircraft oxygen cylinders, 82,283 tank and half track tracks, 2,320,455 bogie wheels, 2,224,000,000 .50 caliber machine gun links, 7,393,000 gas masks, 1,882,000 M1926 life belts, 429,000 Mae West life vests, 126,500 rafts, 33,500 other types of flotation gear, 20,231 40mm Bofors gun carriages for the US Army, 10,434 40mm Bofors gun mounts for the US Navy, 765 CG-4A gliders, 1,550 M5 and M5A1 tank turrets, 3,100 M5 and M5A1 tank tracks, 350 Duplex Drive kits for M4A1 Sherman tanks Firestone Tire and Rubber's World War Two Product Statistics: 1944 - 8,877,000 combat tires 1945 - 10,716,000 combat tires Firestone produced a total of 82,823 tank and half-track tracks as shown above. 13,213 were for half-racks built by Autocar, White, Diamond T, and International Harvester. Also note that for half-tracks that the numbers in the table above are for a complete set of two tracks for the vehicle, as in 1941 and 1942 there were half units accepted. It is unknown whether the 82,823 figure given by Firestone is sets of two, or individual tracks. More Firestone Tire and Rubber's World War Two Products: Artillery shells, aluminum kegs for food transport, plastic helmet liners, aircraft rocket launcher tubes, barrage balloons, aircraft drop tanks, Bakelite stocks for Browning Automatic Rifles, tires, rubber tires for tank road wheels, Mae West life vests, self-sealing aircraft fuel and oil tanks, bomb casings, M1926 flotation belts, gas masks, .50 machine gun links, aircraft oxygen tanks, rocket motor boxes, M5 tank turrets, rockets, C-46 wing panels, aircraft, tires, wheels and brakes, pilot seats, tank tracks, submarine parts, pontoons, life rafts, crash pads for tanks, aircraft pressure-sealing bushings, aircraft tire bead loosening tool, army parkas, batteries, tire beadlocks, tire bead wedge rings, brake linings, bullet resistant tubes, camouflage bands, channel rubber, clothing bags, delousing bags, engine mounts, fan belts, flotation bladders, friction tape, gaskets, gun recoil mechanism seals, landing boats, masking tape, molded rubber parts, motorcycle tires and tubes, oxygen nurse bags, oxygen masks, plastic lenses for gas and oxygen masks, plastic screening, pontoons for bridges, raincoats, rescue boats, rubber caster wheels, rubber band tracks for half-tracks, rubber hose, rubber tape, spark plugs, synthetic foamed latex, tire and tube repair material, torsion bearings, track link bushings, 60mm mortar base, aircraft rivet cement, aircraft parachute seat cushions, air-spring landing gear struts, glider wheels, mooring anchors and buoys, parachute rafts, pneumatic lifting bags, propeller anti-icers, repair kits for flotation gear, eye guards for gun sights, marine transmission parts, mine seals, plane tending barges, sea-dome contact lighting buoys Manhattan Project: In 1943-44 Firestone worked with Monsanto in Dayton, OH which was managing the manufacture of polonium for use as nuclear triggers, or initiators in nuclear weapons. Polonium is a source of alpha particles. The alpha particles then bombard beryllium in the initiator which is a large source of neutrons. These neutrons then bombard uranium in the Little Boy gun type weapon, or the plutonium in the implosion device to start the nuclear explosion. Monsanto explored the Dillon Method that was being used on Firestone Sparkplugs. It took several chemical process to produce small amounts of polonium. This process was only partially successful, and other methods of polonium extraction were found to be more efficient. The Dillon Method was discarded by the Dayton Manhattan Project group. But Firestone was a participant in the Manhattan Project during WWII. Firestone had nine plants in Akron during WWII. Products coming out those plants were tires, aircraft wings, industrial products, steel products, 40mm AA gun mounts and carriages, barrage balloons, Butaprene N, molds and machinery. and rubber reclaim. Fuel cells were made at fourteen plants located in Akron, OH, Los Angeles, CA, Dallas, TX, New Castle, IN, Memphis, TN, Pasadena, CA, Compton Junior College, CA, Santa Ana, CA, Ferndale, WA, Coshocton, OH, Zanesville, OH, Patterson, NJ, Bristol, VA and Hamilton, ONT. Cotton tire cord for military tires was made at the Gastonia, NC. In 1942 the plant also manufactured 500,000 pounds of duck material for military tents. The Atlanta, GA plant also built aircraft wings, while Memphis also made raincoats, and Indianapolis assembled tank tracks. The rubber for the tank tracks were produced at the Noblesville, IN plant. A complete listing of Firestone's US and international plants during WWII is included in "Producing for War Preparing for Peace." See the link at the top or bottom of this page. Firestone's signature war product was the 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun carriage. The actual gun mechanisms were produced were provided by Chrysler and Pontiac and the gun tubes were built by Chrysler, Pontiac, and Otis-Fensom. Firestone mounted them on the carriages. Firestone was one of three companies that built the carriages for the US Army during WWII. It built, as of March 31, 1944, 84.5% of the total as shown below. The information provided below comes from " The History of the Americanization of the Bofors 40mm Automatic Antiaircraft Gun" written by the Historical Section of the Ordnance Department in May 1944. What is not known is whether production continued after March 1944 or ceased at that point. The record is not clear. Firestone's records indicate the company built 20,231 40mm carriages during the war which would imply production ceased for the US Army in early 1944. All of Firestone's production of carriages did not go entirely to the Army, as the US Navy took 4,784 mounts minus the wheeled carriage for use on small ships such as PT boats, submarines, LSTs, and other small ships. The US Army, which also had its own small ships during WWII, used 159 of the ship mounts. It is unknown whether the 4,784 and 159 ship mounts are in included in the total totals above. Firestone, Aircraft Fuel Cells, and the B-29 "Enola Gay:" Firestone Tire and Rubber built a plethora of products in support of the effort during WWII. One of the many products were fuel cells for military aircraft. Nine Firestone plants produced aircraft fuel cells during the war. Coshocton, OH built fuel cells for the B-24, B-29 and P-38. Inside the wings on the "Enola Gay" are four Firestone built fuel cells. They are located between the outboard engines and the fuselage. Firestone Tire and Rubber produced over 600,000 fuel cells for the P-51, B-25, P-39, P-38, P-47, SB2C, B-24, B-17, and B-29. The Firestone plant making the fuel cells included Akron, OH, Los Angeles, CA, Dallas, TX, New Castle, IN, Memphis, TN, Pasadena, CA, Compton Junior College, CA, Santa Ana, CA, Ferndale, WA, Coshocton, OH, Zanesville, OH, Patterson, NJ, Bristol, VA and Hamilton, ONT The Coshocton, OH Firestone plant also built 450 gallon auxiliary fuel tanks for the B-24 Liberator bomber. The plant employed 1,200 persons during WWII. he Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) brought portable automatic fire down to the squad level during WWII. Originally the stocks were made of black walnut like the handgrip. Shortages of black walnut lead Firestone to make them out of a combination of Bakelite, Resinox, and shredded fabric. They were then sandblasted to reduce glare. On March 21, 1942 the US Army approved the Firestone produced plastic stock for use in the BAR. Firestone Tire and Rubber plants in Akron, OH and Wyandotte, MI produced 2,320,455 tank bogie wheels like this one for various American tanks during WWII. Firestone Tire and Rubber in Los Angeles, CA also produced 1,550 turrets used M5 and M5A1 Stuart tank built by the Southern California Division of General Motors in South Gate, CA. It also provided the 3,100 tank tracks required. This Southern California Division built M5 with a Firestone built turret is ironically located at an automotive salvage yard in Akron, OH. Halftracks were one of the many recipients of heavy duty military truck tires produced by Firestone in Memphis, TN. Firestone also bonded rubber pads to steel halftrack and tracks. Firestone Tire and Rubber Company produced many oxygen tanks for aircraft. These can be seen inside the B-29 "Command Decision" at the National Museum of the US Air Force. Helmet liners went into the M1 steel helmet. The helmets, sometimes called "steel pots," and their Firestone liners were still used through the end of the Vietnam War. In a display case at the Champaign Aviation Museum in Urbana, OH is this Mae West life preserver made by the Firestone Rubber and Latex Products Company. Firestone made 429,000 of these life preservers. On display at the 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson History Museum in Colorado Springs, CO is one of 1,882,000 M1926 life belts that Firestone produced during WWII. Firestone made 2,224,000,000 .50 caliber machine gun links. The .50 machine gun was used by all services during WWII. They were used on bombers and fighters, tanks, trucks, ships, and as stand-alone weapons. Firestone produced 350 'flotation screens' for use in amphibious landings, and which rested on the tank when not in use. American M4A1(75) Sherman tanks used the Firestone-built units at Normandy.

Price: 215 USD

Location: Little Rock, Arkansas

End Time: 2024-08-13T21:52:45.000Z

Shipping Cost: 16.45 USD