Unknown 1942 chest - What’s it for?

[andrewupton]

I picked up the following at a car boot sale on Sunday for the princely sum of £5 (£6.65 if you include the price of the bus fair up the hill as I couldn't walk it!).

It's marked with the Broad Arrow, 1942 date and L.Bros.Ltd (Lines Brothers Limited from what I've been able to find on the web) on one of the fixed chocks for the (missing) rope handles, and Broad Arrow over W over 108 on the other.

Externally, it measures about 3ft long by 1ft wide by about 7 inches deep. Two hinges (protected from transport damage with a block of wood) and one lockable clasp and eye to the front. It's been stripped and varnished at some point, so no remaining painted markings, although traces of post-war semi-gloss green khaki paint covering the original matt khaki paint still remain. Two strip feet to keep it off the ground.

Internally, it has provision for two removable dividers (one still present). This one has two slots cut into it on opposing corners (one looking much more crude/recent than the other). Very minimal remains of a paper label that was at one time glued inside to the right of the left hinge.

Does anyone know what it was originally for? According to Wikipedia Lines Brothers Limited went over to making military material during the war, including MKIII Sten Guns, but what else?

With thanks in advance.

[missingsomething]

Can't help you in the ID of the chest.... I have not seen one before...

Here is a sten transit chest:

[tom]

I Andrew
I hope someone can tell you what it is as I have a identical box the fater in law gave me that he had been using as a tool box since he was demobbed from the Royal Engineers in the mid 1950s. Mine had most of the green paint on but since I got it to use rather than as a collectable and I happened to have some correct paint at the time I cleaned it up and repainted it.

I use it for overspill from my work bench and to store long stuff like saws and augers.

The rope handles are still on if you want a picture to copy them.

ATB

Tom

[andrewupton]

Aug 20, 2009 10:17:59 GMT 1 tom said:

I hope someone can tell you what it is as I have a identical box the fater in law gave me that he had been using as a tool box since he was demobbed from the Royal Engineers in the mid 1950s....

The rope handles are still on if you want a picture to copy them.

Thanks Tom, that would be a big help.

Mine was still being used for the same purpose when I first saw it - I couldn't buy it straight away as it was filled with drills and other bits and bobs, and the seller didn't wan't them scattered about, so I had to wait towards the very end of the boot sale!

[tom]

Look mum I can put up pictures all by myself now! Its only taken me 8 years to learn how!

[andrewupton]

Thanks for that Tom - looks a bit difficult for my non-rope skilled self to copy, might have to cheat and just use some thinnner rope and some knots!

Was the underside of your lid completey painted green as you've repainted it when you got it? I ask as on mine the underside wasn't stripped, so the remains of the paper label survive, and the only traces of paint on it is a neatly khaki painted band about 5mm wide around the very edge. The 50's repaint even followed it very exactly.