Item:
ONSV1635

Original U.S. WWII Douglas C-47 Skytrain Aeronautic First Aid Kit

Item Description

Original Items: Only One Available. This is an exceptionally rare unissued complete Aeronautical First-Aid Kit. During WWII all military aircraft carried 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, such as B-17 and B-24 bombers or aircraft carrying paratroopers like the Douglas C-47, one or more larger first aid kits were installed on the aircraft for emergency use. Of particular note is that paratroopers on jump runs were notorious for raiding these first aid kits and liberating Morphine Styrettes and other items. 

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 .

A later pattern, which is this example, was of olive drab canvas, with the full zipper, marked only with "Medical Department, USA" in black block letters.

A third pattern, believed to be the earliest one, was also khaki canvas, with a horizontal zipper that separated a smaller top compartment from a larger bottom compartment, not the three sided, full opening zipper of the others. Some models, such as this example, had a fabric carrying strap for use when dismounted from the wall.

Inside the bag of the Kit, First Aid, Aeronautical, the contents were held in divided compartments. 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.

Included in this set are the following items:

- 1942 Dated Canvas Case with two pockets and 4 lift the dot snaps offered in very good condition, even includes the male snap ends for mounting on aircraft fuselage!

- Original Kit, First-Aid, Aeronautical contents list with instruction sheet.

- Eye Dressing

- Chrome Plated Surgical Scissors in Original Packet.

- 3 x Small  Carlisle First-Aid Dressing

- 5 x Pack of Sulfanilamide Crystalline Powder.

- "Everdry" waterproof match container with matches + strikers

- One Matchbook of damp climate matches.

- One Box Bandage, Gauze, self-Adhesive Dressings 16 Pieces (Like a Band-Aid)

- Iodine Swabs (10 unused swabs) in tin.

This is an exceptionally rare unissued complete Aeronautical First-Aid Kit!

Idiot Clause - the contents of this kit are pre-1945 manufacture and are NOT suitable for use. They are being sold as novelty collector pieces only.

  • This product is available for international shipping.
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