[David Dunlop]

At first glance, the CONTENTS Label on the inside lid of this case, apart from size, looked the same as the one that survived under the lid of my Tool Box, but when I had a closer look, there was one noticeable difference. The label in the Tool Box was plain paper. The one in this case is plain paper that has been given a spray coat of lacquer/schellac/varnish before being glued to the lid. It is still paper thin, but the outer surface is shiney and the entire label is very, flat, smooth and stiff. I am wondering now if this was an upgrade Canadian Marconi Company implemented following feedback about these labels being easily damaged when these boxes/cases were in use.

The other nice find in this case was a two page (Legal Sized paper) postwar version of the Contents Label using the new NATO Stock Numbers for all the contents of the case, so at least some of the parts for the 52-Set can be cross-referenced between the original VAOS Numbers and the NATO System.

Clearly, CMC had a standard format for their CONTENTS Labels used with the 52-Set, the interesting thing, however, is that neither of my Spare Parts cases had such a label fitted anywhere inside of them. The logical reason for that would be the presence of the KimPak padding on the inside of this case and the only free space that was all wood, meant any label fitted there would be very hard to read and subject to damage with items being placed in, and removed from the case. A small CONTENTS Label, similar to the other two, just sitting in the case, would have been very easy to lose, so perhaps CMC got around that problem by issuing a larger format list (8.5” x 11” perhaps), folded in half and placed in the case, probably on the valves side.

If anyone has run across an original surviving CONTENTS List for the 52-Set Spare Parts Case, please let me know.



David