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M.D.1 Pull Switch

FNG61

Well-Known Member
Picked up this pull switch at the last show. Im completely new to switches/SOE stuff so please be patient. The switch is marked; M.D.1 and there appears to be another marking below this which is lightly struck and illegible. What would the other marking be please and..... were switches made by the Ministry of Defence always marked with M.D.1? Thankyou
 

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Hi Rob

Nice catch buddy, thats the early version!!! I want one!! The other marking is most likely "13". Many of the MD1 switches have this marking, I thought it might be an operator number, but thats unlikely given that many switches have them. otherwise I have no idea:confused:

MD-1 is Military Department 1, otherwise known as Churchills Toyshop. Get a copy of "Winston Churchills Toyshop" by Stuart Macrae. Fantastic read and tells the whole story of the "Toyshop" and many of the "toys".
 
Hi Rob

Nice catch buddy, thats the early version!!! I want one!! The other marking is most likely "13". Many of the MD1 switches have this marking, I thought it might be an operator number, but thats unlikely given that many switches have them. otherwise I have no idea:confused:

MD-1 is Military Department 1, otherwise known as Churchills Toyshop. Get a copy of "Winston Churchills Toyshop" by Stuart Macrae. Fantastic read and tells the whole story of the "Toyshop" and many of the "toys".


Hi Darryl. Thanks for the reply. It just seemed odd that while the Germans went to great lengths to add those 3 letter codes to nearly everything they made( the war might have ended 14 months earlier if the allies had figured out which factory was making rubber eye cups for optics) MD1 just stamps their stuff with their own marking. Nervy.
This switch looks like it might have had a black finish on it along time ago until somebody decided to clean it off. Im kind of afraid of this switch even though it is inert. Its just easy to imagine collecting this stuff and I dont need another collection!
 
Hi Rob

MD1 had a number of manufacturing facilities, so marking it MD1 wouldn't have done anyone much good figuring out where it was made. I expect it was blackened at one point in time.

Well, if you don't want to collect em, you can alway flog it to me:tinysmile_fatgrin_t

cheers
D
 
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