Item:
ON13353

Original U.S. WWII & Korean War First Aid Kit Lot With Contents - (1) Aeronautical (1) Raft

Item Description

Original Items: Only One Lot of 2 Available. A fateful conversation inspired the creation of Johnson & Johnson’s First Aid Kit, which was released in 1888. Aboard a train heading to Colorado for vacation, company founder Robert Wood Johnson struck up a conversation with the Denver & Rio Grande Railway’s chief surgeon. The doctor explained to Johnson the dangers of railroad construction and the lack of medical supplies to treat the unique industrial injuries that were often incurred great distances from hospitals. From this exchange, Johnson saw an opportunity to both advance the field of healthcare and build his young business. And from this modern need, the commercial First Aid Kit was born.

In 1913 the U.S. Army developed a medical belt to be used on the battlefield. The belt had ten pockets which contained a tourniquet, adhesive plaster, safety pins, iodine, gauze, field dressing, bandages, ammonia, pins and diagnosis tags. A canteen hanger and ax carrier were also a part of the belt, along with various other accessories.

But during WWI, it became evident that the medical belt design was not effective. It did not withstand the trials of war. Both the packaging and the contents were considered utterly useless in the field, and the medical belt was no longer used by the U.S. military.

By World War II, medical corpsmen wore just two medical pouches at the waist, which wouldn’t interfere with mobility – a lesson learned by the failure of the medical belt. Johnson & Johnson continued evolving the first aid kit for widespread use by every individual and industry.

As technology continues to advance, the contents of the medical kit continue to advance as well. But many of the original items have stood the test of time. Although tourniquets, dressings and other items have changed throughout the years, the general concept of the medical kit remains the same – to save lives.

The Kits Featured In This Grouping:
- WWII Aeronautic First Aid Kit with Contents: Officially called a Kit, First Aid, Aeronautic, this is a genuine WW2 example offered in excellent complete condition.

All military aircraft carry first aid equipment. In the case of fighter or small bomber aircraft, the Packet, First Aid, Parachute was attached to the parachute webbing of each crew member. On larger aircraft, cargo planes, or aircraft carrying paratroopers, a one or more larger first aid kits were also installed on the aircraft for emergency use.

The Kit, First Aid, Aeronautical (Medical Department Item No. 9776500), was a canvas bag constructed with four lift the dot fastener (LTD) female connectors on its four corners. LTD studs were permanently attached to the aircraft fuselage bulkhead so the First Aid Kit could be easily snapped down or pulled off for use.

The Kit, First Aid, Aeronautical was issued in a series of patterns. Early in World War II the kit was made of khaki canvas, had a zipper around three sides to fully open the kit, and was marked with a red cross on the left front plus the nomenclature, "Kit, First Aid, Aeronautic, US" in block letters to the right front (photo, left).

Inside the bag of the Kit, First Aid, Aeronautical, the contents were held in divided compartments as seen in the photo below. The arrangement differed in the three patterns but all had multiple dividers for the contents packages plus a sleeve to store the instruments.

Like other first aid kits of the World War II period, the contents of the aircraft first aid kit varied as supplies and technology changed. Typical contents would include all or part of this list: Bandages & dressings: Carlisle dressings, cotton, gauze, adhesive bandages, triangular bandage, eye dressing unit. Medical supplies: sulfadiazine & sulfanilamide packages, amyl nitrate vials, morphine tartrate syrette, iodine applicators & bottle, halazone tablets, burn injury set. Medical implements: scalpel, blunt scissors, fever thermometer, tourniquet belt with buckle.

- U.S. Korean War Air Force Type C-2A Life Raft First Aid Kit: The kit includes items you would need if you were stuck out at sea with a life raft. The kid includes a paddle, raft repair kit, (2) signal distress containers, Mk2 Sea Water Desalter, (2) waterproofing bags and a signal mirror. This is the typical kit you would find in your life raft. Although items are missing, it is still a lovely example.

Both kits come more than ready to display!

Idiot Clause - the contents of this kit are pre-1960 manufacture and are NOT suitable for use. They are being sold as novelty collector pieces only.

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