Equipped To Survive Equipped To Survive® Presents
The Survival Forum
Where do you want to go on ETS?

Topic Options
#290184 - 08/09/18 06:14 PM 1944 AF Manual 21: Survival, now downloadable
rafowell Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 11/29/09
Posts: 258
Loc: Southern California
In the USA, at least, you can now read/search online and download as a pdf:

July 1944 Air Forces Manual 21: Survival On Land, At Sea

Nothing earthshaking here, but since Google Books went to the trouble, I thought I'd advertise it.[1][2]

One still-pertinent item is this tutorial diagram: Sighting a double-sided signal mirror

(The aimers in the signal mirrors stocked in oceangoing lifeboat kits are overwhelmingly
the inexpensive double-sided or foresight aimer (aka heliograph) type, rather than
the more effective retroreflective aimer type, so it is good to know all three signal mirror aiming methods.[3]
(All are more accurate than the improvised "vee-finger" method, which is a particularly iffy variant of the foresight method).

The bibliography entry for this item is:

Survival on land, at sea ; prepared by Arctic, Desert, and Tropic Information Center.
[James Gray, Inc., New York, N. Y., July 1944.]
[2] +78 p. il. narrow 12° (Air Forces manual 21.)
[Pages 75-77 are left blank to be used for log.] W 108.19:21

The downloadable pdf is "image-style" (non-searchable) version, but you can search the online version.

[1] I had noticed that Google Books had this set for "snippet view only", so I requested they review it for unrestricted viewing in the USA (may still be blocked outside),
and they did. Since I put them to that trouble, I wanted more folks than me to benefit, and it seemed like something of interest to this forum.

[2] Other copies on Google Books:
https://books.google.com/books?id=QoNYtQEACAAJ
https://books.google.com/books?id=ILDe_J2czBMC

[3] Training videos for the three types of signal mirror aimer:

Double-Sided Signal Mirror Aimer:
(fancy version here, but simple steel plate with hole is aimed the same way):
The Signaling Mirror: WWII US Government Training Film

Foresight/Heliograph Signal Mirror Aimer:
Using a foresight signal mirror aimer

Retroreflective Signal Mirror Aimer:
Using a retroreflective signal mirror aimer, red-dot subtype
_________________________
A signal mirror should backup a radio distress signal, like a 406 MHz PLB (ACR PLB) (Ocean Signal PLB)

Top
#290186 - 08/09/18 11:08 PM Re: 1944 AF Manual 21: Survival, now downloadable [Re: rafowell]
Phaedrus Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3148
Loc: Big Sky Country
Awesome! Thanks for the heads up!
_________________________
“I'd rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” —Richard Feynman

Top
#290194 - 08/11/18 09:40 PM Re: 1944 AF Manual 21: Survival, now downloadable [Re: Phaedrus]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
interesting document. While some things have changed, much remains the same.

I was particularly interested in the section on dealing with "natives." It reads like an intro to a course in cultural anthropology, although isolated "native" groups are hard to find these days....
_________________________
Geezer in Chief

Top



Moderator:  Alan_Romania, Blast, cliff, Hikin_Jim 
March
Su M Tu W Th F Sa
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Who's Online
0 registered (), 287 Guests and 46 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
GallenR, Jeebo, NicholasMarshall, Yadav, BenFoakes
5367 Registered Users
Newest Posts
What did you do today to prepare?
by dougwalkabout
Yesterday at 11:21 PM
Zippo Butane Inserts
by dougwalkabout
Yesterday at 11:11 PM
Question about a "Backyard Mutitool"
by Ren
03/17/24 01:00 AM
Problem in my WhatsApp configuration
by Chisel
03/09/24 01:55 PM
New Madrid Seismic Zone
by Jeanette_Isabelle
03/04/24 02:44 PM
EDC Reduction
by EchoingLaugh
03/02/24 04:12 PM
Using a Compass Without a Map
by KenK
02/28/24 12:22 AM
Newest Images
Tiny knife / wrench
Handmade knives
2"x2" Glass Signal Mirror, Retroreflective Mesh
Trade School Tool Kit
My Pocket Kit
Glossary
Test

WARNING & DISCLAIMER: SELECT AND USE OUTDOORS AND SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES AND TECHNIQUES AT YOUR OWN RISK. Information posted on this forum is not reviewed for accuracy and may not be reliable, use at your own risk. Please review the full WARNING & DISCLAIMER about information on this site.