So, barring any visual evidence, can any of the gentlemen that worked in the motorpool (during the 70s/80s) provide any recollections of the brands they remember using? Don't worry Lugz, we'll work backwards into it!
Bill
Bill -
My active duty was 72-74, then Guard and Reserve until 2003. Think I have mentioned some of this before. Then, at tail end of Nam, only thing accountable was the actual tool box. My first platoon I had something like 65 of those with more than 45 of them just empty boxes. There just was no accountability in those days - at least where I was, Fort Hood.
As far as brands, I can remember about any you can think of. We had a credit card and the Platoon Sergeant and I could go buy something like $50 worth of tools a quarter to replace missing or lost items. This was in a self service supply - and I can remember seeing SK, Craftsman, Proto, Snap On, etc. But then there was also the no-name - or at least I can't remember if there was a name on some sockets. Picked up one for one of my guys on one of our runs. He was working under a deuce so I put the socket (seems like it was a 9/16 - now don't ask me why I think I remember the size 46 years later) on the fender. He was happy as could be to finally get that socket. Came out from under the truck and happened to knock it onto the floor - I was standing maybe 4 feet to the side. Socket broke into pieces just hitting the floor. I can't remember any name on it, but it was marked 'Spain' as country of origin. So as far as I'm concerned, you could put most anything you could find in one of those sets and argue as to it being correct!
As others have said there were other sets. Armorers, for instance, had a quite different set - as did typewriter repair MOS, etc. And the Master Mechanics box was coveted - think I had 5 or 6 of those. Think a top chest with additional tools. And in the tool room the Number 1 Common, Number 2, the supplementals to those, etc. First outfit I was in was a Light Direct Support Maintenance Company - we could fix anything with wheels, generators, office equipment, light weapons, glass, body work and were the parts store for supported units. Our battalion could literally fix anything the Army had - including missles, aircraft, artillery, tanks, radios, canvas, engineer equipment - and also set up rebuild lines for engines, etc (although we never did that). Also ran the post junk yard - which could be real interesting. We had machine shops, etc, etc. Probably every tool kit in the Army except for medical equipment, ammunition and nuclear weapons.
Been a while since I thought of all that equipment.
Lugz - Have you ever come across a SC for the WW2 mobile machine shops that were truck mounted? I've been searching for them on and off for 3 years with no luck. Even the Ordnance and Quartermaster Museums do not have copies. I acquired a metal lathe that is in excellent shape and almost totally complete that started life in one of those trucks in January of 1945. Just trying to figure out what is missing from the drawers that were fitted with French cutouts in plywood. Currently refurbishing the lathe.
Dale
Since it's your thread, please list some more difficult to find GMTK tools.
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