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Perhaps the fact that this sensitive information has been "Restricted" since the 1940's is part of our problem... 
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"During the first six months of 1942, approximately 82 percent of the trainees enrolled in the motor mechanics courses at the Camp Lee QMRTC were men who had no previous experience in mechanical work."
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I have a copy of TM 9-1575, "Wrist Watches, Pocket Watches, Stop Watches, and Clocks." One of my longtime collecting areas is watches, and this manual is basically an entire course on teardown and maintenance between the covers. Plus, it has great reference photos of correct style straps, etc., for Army and Navy wristwatches.All of the wartime manuals are neat to look through. Here's one of mine.
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The graphics are usually outstanding, and often humorous, intentionally or not.
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Some of you may be surprised to learn the reason for the very basic and fundamental level of most wartime manuals. The Navy and Army technical services actually had a hard time recruiting skilled mechanics in the required numbers. Everyone wanted to fight and the fighting branches hoarded draftees. The situation was dire well up through the middle of 1943 and forced both services to make drastic changes, including the hiring of civilians to train mechanics (had been officers prior) and the field expedient re-purposing of men already in the fight who had been mechanics as civilians.
Here are two juicy quotes from a history book about the US Army Quartermaster Corps, which was responsible for all wheeled and tracked vehicles and maintenance in the early part of the war.
"During the first six months of 1942, approximately 82 percent of the trainees enrolled in the motor mechanics courses at the Camp Lee QMRTC were men who had no previous experience in mechanical work."
"Furthermore, officers at Fort Warren had the same complaint as those at Camp Lee that they were receiving 'far too many clerks.'"
Most guys have the opposite problem as they get older...The older I get, the longer my cheater pipe gets.
