WWII Vintage U.S. SERVICE WRITING KIT Navy in Orig. Box

WWII Vintage U.S. SERVICE WRITING KIT Navy in Orig. Box - eBay (item 310070731161 end time Aug-01-08 20:14:13 PDT)

This vintage WWII soldier gear is marked, "U.S. Service Writing Kit" with a silver emblem on the front of the blue faux-leather paper folder. The sheets of stationery in the pad have the emblem in blue and the words "United States Navy." The kit comes in the original pasteboard box.

Inside the folder is the pad of stationery, 24 envelopes (one slipped deep inside) and a place for a sweetheart's photo and another for the soldier's ID info: Name, No., Outfit, Co., Camp, Location.

The pasteboard box has three servicemen on the front, an envelope and stars and is marked on each side in red, "Keep Writing 'Em" and on one end is marked in pencil, "Navy, 50 Cents."

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REPORTS OF GENERAL MacARTHUR Jap Ops SW Pacific, Vol 2!

REPORTS OF GENERAL MacARTHUR Jap Ops SW Pacific, Vol 2! - eBay (item 310065926065 end time Jul-14-08 20:31:32 PDT)

This vintage hardcover copy of Reports of General MacArthur, Japanese Operations in the Southwest Pacific Area, Vol. II Part II was published in 1966, compiled from Japanese Demobilization Bureaux Records. It's a big heavy book with lots of maps, charts and photos along with the text coverage. The end papers show a map in both Japanese and English called Japanese Navy: Order of Battle and Losses.

The Preface by Douglas MacArthur says:

This volume parallels the record of Allied operations in the SWPA from the Defense of Luzon, 8 December 1941, to the Surrender Negotiations in Manila, 15 August 1945. It is the Japanese official record, contained in operational monographs furnished by the Japanese Demobilization Bureaux, the successors to the former War and Navy Ministries, developed by Officers of the Japanese Imperial Headquarters, Tokyo, and on the Staffs of major Japanese Commanders in the field. Like Volume I, the material is thus presented by eye witnesses to events, and is supported by official documentary evidence.

It is a record of bitter resistance and tenacious fighting by a first-class Army and Navy, led by Diplomats and Military Politicians through the holocaust of national destruction, an Army that was steeped in medieval cruelty, but fought with the most modern technical skill and savage valor, until superior skill and equal valor broke the spell of the Samurai and the legend of an invincible Empire.

Contents:

• CHAPTER XIII: Struggle for Leyte
• Activation of Sho Operation No. I
• Defensive Dispositions
• Launching of the Invasion
• Action by Army Headquarters
• Preparations for Sea-Air Attack
• Leyte Sea Battle: First Phase
• Leyte Sea Battle: Finale
• Deterioration on Eastern Leyte
• Initial Reinforcement
• Limon Battle: Phase I
• Command Decisions
• Limon Battle: Phase II
• Battle of Burauen
• Ormoc--Final Collapse
• CHAPTER XIV: Prelude to the Defense of Luzon
• Estimates and Plans, November 1944
• Situation on 13 December
• Enemy Advance to Mindoro
• Final Luzon Defense Plans
• Battle Preparations
• Prelude to Invasion
• CHAPTER XV: Battle on Luzon
• Launching of the American Invasion
• Defense of San Jose
• Clark Field and Bataan
• Battle Dispositions in the Shimbu Sector
• Defense of Manila
• Fighting East of Manila, Phase I
• Defense of Baguio
• Battle for the Northern Passes
• Fighting East of Manila, Phase II
• End of the Luzon Campaign
• CHAPTER XVI: The Central and Southern Philippines
• Situation, 22-25 December
• Evacuation of Leyte
• Enemy Occupation of Palawan
• Zamboanga--Sulu Archipelago
• Panay and Western Negros
• Southern Visayas
• Defense Preparations on Mindanao
• Fighting in Central Mindanao
• Defense of the Davao Area
• Recapitulation
• CHAPTER XVII: Tokko--"Special-Attack"
• Evolution of Tokko
• Experimentation with Tokko Tactics
• Tokko Air Units
• Other Forms of Special-Attack
• CHAPTER XVIII: Homeland Defense: Basic Plans and Preliminary Operations
• Strategic Situation--January 1945
• New Plans for Homeland Defense
• Attacks on the Homeland Defense Perimeter
• General Plan of Operations
• Tactics and Techniques
• CHAPTER XIX: Homeland Defense: Strategic Setbacks and Final Preparations
• Air Raids and the Industrial Crisis
• Progress of Mobilization and Deployment
• A New Estimate of the Situation
• July Developments
• Preparations for the Defense of Kyushu
• Preparations for the Defense of Kanto
• Strategic Situation--1 August 1945
• CHAPTER XX: Decision to Surrender
• Background of the Peace Movement
• Formation of the Suzuki cabinet
• Initial Peace Discussions
• Basic Policy of 8 June
• Emperor's Initiative
• Negotiations with Russia
• The Potsdam Declaration
• The Atomic Bomb
• Soviet Entry Into War
• First Cabinet Deliberations on Peace
• Showdown on Surrender Issue
• Initial Reply to Potsdam
• Final Imperial Conference on Surrender
• Japan's Reply to Final Allied Offer
• CHAPTER XXI: The Return to Peace
• Imperial Announcement of Surrender
• Military Reaction
• Formation of New Cabinet
• Cessation of Hostilities
• Mission to Manila
• Preparation for Allied Occupation
• Disarmament and Demobilization
• Entry of Occupation Forces
• Signing of the Surrender
• APPENDIX: The Japanese Emperor and the War
• The Emperor's Role at the Time of Surrender
• Emperor's Efforts for Preservation of Peace
• The Government and the Military
• The Manchurian Incident and China Affair
• The Pacific War
• The Emperor's Legal Status
There are three pages, two of them tissue, showing the Japanese and English versions of the Imperial Rescript Ending the War.

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Vintage U.S. SERVICE WRITING KIT Navy Stationery Folder

Vintage U.S. SERVICE WRITING KIT Navy Stationery Folder - eBay (item 310062212529 end time Jun-30-08 18:56:06 PDT)

This U.S. Service Writing Kit is a navy blue faux leather paper folder with a silver embossed logo and "U.S. Service Writing Kit" on the front cover. Inside on the left is a pocket full of 24 envelopes, a place to put your sweetheart's photo and a card to record your name, number, outfit, company, camp and location. On the right are two pads of stationery imprinted with a navy blue USN anchor logo.

There are 24 envelopes and two pads of stationery. There's only one sheet left on the pad inserted in the folder, plus a full pad ready for use. The envelopes and stationery are age-darkened and have light foxing spots. We believe it's a World War II era kit.

The pasteboard box/envelope is printed on the front in red with images of three servicemen, a mailing envelope, stars and a banner that says, "U.S. Service Writing Kit." Both narrow sides say, "Keep Writing 'Em." On one end there's a printed "N" and someone hand-wrote in pencil to make it say,"Navy Blue 50 cents."

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WWII British Army No. 4 MK II 5 BAYONET, SCABBARD, FROG

WWII British Army No. 4 MK II 5 BAYONET, SCABBARD, FROG - eBay (item 310055027158 end time Jun-03-08 18:38:05 PDT)

This WWII British Army bayonet is marked, "No. 4 MK II, 5" on one side a7789" on the other side. I see no maker's mark on the scabbard. I can't read what's stamped on the back of the frog except it starts out with a "2".

An eBay seller sold a bayonet like this and said it was for an Enfield rifle. Another seller said it was for probing mines which explains the somewhat screwdriver shaping on the tip.

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WWII British Army No. 4 MK II BAYONET, SCABBARD, FROG!

WWII British Army No. 4 MK II BAYONET, SCABBARD, FROG! - eBay (item 310053078800 end time May-27-08 19:29:28 PDT)

This WWII British Army bayonet is marked, "No. 4 MK II" on one side with LB monogram for the Long Branch manufacturer in Ontario. The other side is marked with what might be an N, up-pointing arrow, and what might be a 7 or Z--or NTZ? Or NT7? It's also embossed "75" two places and also lightly etched as if someone wrote 75 and it left a mark.

The metal scabbard is marked, "No. 4 MK 1" on the opening end. I see no markings on the heavy canvas frog either because there aren't any or they're covered with filth.

I'm not sure how the bayonet and scabbard fit into the frog. Another eBay seller had a bayonet like this and said it was for an Enfield rifle. Another seller said it was for probing mines which explains to somewhat screwdriver shaping on the tip.

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WWII EISENHOWER JACKET, CAP, TIE U.S. Army 44R Insignia

WWII EISENHOWER JACKET, CAP, TIE U.S. Army 44R Insignia - eBay (item 310050238720 end time May-17-08 19:01:32 PDT)

This vintage World War Two U.S. Army Uniform Jacket is size 44R. The upper back lining is stamped in black ink "F-6829" two times and "B-4403" more faintly two times.

The insignia includes:

• one green shield unit patch on each epaulet
• Germany patch on left sleeve
• green and yellow braid for French marksmanship over left shoulder
• one round infantry pin on each lapel
• Presidential citation with pin over right pocket
• three ribbons over the breast pocket
• a divisional patch that says "1" on the left sleeve
• corporal stripes on both sleeves

The mens size 44 R Eisenhower uniform jacket measures 22 1/2" across the chest at underarms, 19 1/2" across the belt front. The sleeves measure 23" from shoulder seam to back cuff edge, 18" along the underarm seam from armpit to cuff bottom. It measures 21" from the back collar seam to the bottom edge of the back belt.

The outer jacket is in really good condition with no moth holes, rips or tears, with a small a break in the zipper stitching. The lining is in excellent condition except that someone removed both sleeve linings.

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WWII EISENHOWER JACKET U.S. Army Uniform 42R Cpl XLNT!

WWII EISENHOWER JACKET U.S. Army Uniform 42R Cpl XLNT! - eBay (item 310050224081 end time May-17-08 17:59:21 PDT)

This vintage World War Two U.S. Army Uniform Jacket is size 42R. There's a unit patch that says "1" on the left sleeve, and corporal stripes on both sleeves. The upper back lining is stamped in black ink "F-6829" three times.

The mens size 42 R jacket measures 21" across the chest at underarms, 20" across the belt front. The sleeves measure 25 1/2" from shoulder seam to back cuff edge, 18 3/4" along the underarm seam. It measures 22" from the back collar seam to the bottom edge of the back belt.

This vintage WWII Eisenhower jacket in really good condition. There are no moth holes, rips or tears. The only thing wrong with it are food stains on the underside of the lower right sleeve and smaller remnants of food stains on the right lapel. The lining is in excellent condition.

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Vintage Navy WWII U.S. SERVICE WRITING KIT in Orig Box!

Vintage Navy WWII U.S. SERVICE WRITING KIT in Orig Box! - eBay (item 310027633877 end time Mar-06-08 17:15:00 PST)

This U.S. Service Writing Kit is a navy blue faux leather paper folder with a silver embossed logo and "U.S. Service Writing Kit" on the front cover. Inside on the left is a pocket full of envelopes, a place to put your sweetheart's photo and a card to record your name, number, outfit, company, camp and location. On the right is a pad of stationery imprinted with a navy blue USN anchor logo.

There are 23 envelopes and the pad looks like a couple sheets are gone. The envelopes and stationery are age-darkened and have light foxing spots. We believe it's a World War II era kit.

The pasteboard box/envelope is printed on the front in red with images of three servicemen, a mailing envelope, stars and a banner that says, "U.S. Service Writing Kit." Both narrow sides say, "Keep Writing 'Em." Someone hand-wrote on one side "Navy, 50 cents" and on one end "Blue, 50 cents."

It's interesting to see how WWII servicemen were encouraged to keep in touch with the home folks with this official U.S. Navy Service Writing Kit.

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