[Milsurplus] Re: ARC-5 data tags...

[William Donzelli]

> Or, it could be, as has been proposed, that dates were defaced
> only at the time of install.  

I think at one point Ray Mote had a copy of the TO describing to 
defacing. I bet that will tell all.

> I'd bet most of the field people thought it a pretty dumb idea.

And some of the seamen that did it were pretty dumb themselves. I have 
one set, with the typical engraved/etched brass plate, with the date 
painted out.

> The rare CBY-built NXsa-53321 units 
> (built on AN/ARC-5 chassis)
> have the contract number hand-stamped on the
> plates in a field specifically for that, indicating
> they were built beforehand and supplied "as needed"
> under a supplemental contract.

At least some of the single transmitter mounts were made with "real"
plates. 

> These plates have a field for the date to be hand-stamped,
> but all I have ever seen are blank.

Or perhaps it was defacing while still at the factory. Maybe the 
manufacturer was told to delete the dates, but the artwork was already 
finished for the plates. A simple rectangular block over the date on the 
artwork could have been added at the very last minute, and certainly 
easier than making new artwork. 
 
> Any conclusions we draw at this time are largely
> speculation, but with the Naval records destroyed,
> that may be all we shall ever have.

Someday I would like to see what was destroyed and what was spared. A 
trip to NARA and the NRL is probably in order, as the indices on the 
Internet really do not tell much. I know that the NARA holdings are 
pretty impressive (Muarice S. of glide bomb TV fame had pulled amazing 
things from the archives), but much leg work is needed to find anything!

William Donzelli
aw288@osfn.org