At the bottom of an interesting box of RAF material, that had belonged to a F/O L.F.Range, was an Escape/Survival Kit in quite poor shape. The cardboard box had been kept in a shed and everything else, including medals and photographs were in good shape. As yet I have not opened the Escape Kit and would like to know if anyone has attempted to restore a Kit in this condition? Clearly there is moisture in the box and some of the contents have expanded, I doubt that whatever this is could be saved. I could open it and try to clean the contents and put back what can be salvaged, or keep the useable contents and put them in one of the replica boxes that are currently available, but then it will no longer be original. Any thoughts an suggestions would be welcome. Regards, Clive.
-
-
Image 2 -
Image 3Comment
-
Image 4Comment
-
Image 5Comment
-
Image 6Comment
-
Image 7 - FinalComment
-
wow, nice find
Comment
-
You should open it and get the moisture out! Leave things drying and clean them a bit (slightly brush the dirt of, put gunoil on the metal etc). So save the stuff that can be saved!Originally posted by seebee1 View Post
I wouldn't mix reproductions with these original items
: if its gone, it's gone. Leave it original.
Good luck and be carefull getting the stuff out!
Please show us the process and result in photo's!
Comment
-
It looks like the box as well as most of items inside can be saved.Comment
-
Many thanks for the comments and advice. I need to be careful with the temperature it is kept in, at the moment it is in the cool in similar conditions, but drier, than it was originally. Over the Christmas break I plan to take it apart and see what can be salvaged, will post pictures in due course. Think you may be right Jean-Loup, it may not be as bad as it first looks. I do have some spare items from another Escape-Survival Kit, so hope to be able to make it more presentable and keep the history intact. Regards, Clive.Comment
-
Be good to see if the wakey-wakey pills are still there
Nice find to have one complete!
DannyComment
-
Originally posted by JedburghDanny View PostBe good to see if the wakey-wakey pills are still there
Nice find to have one complete!
Danny
They probably will be, the tapes still on. They come In a wierd kind of waxed cardboard don't they. Most of this looks saveable Clive, the malted milk and other food substances have got wet and nasty, lose those and most of the rest should be ok. Don't think this kit had the boullion cubes or powder, that sh1t eats metal! I had an E17 that the bullion had leaked In and the saw was completely corroded.
As a boring aside my grandmother worked at the HALEX company that made a lot of plastic Items for the war effort Including these flasks. We used to play with them as kids and even those unused items had warped with age, light has a lot to do with It I believe, those early plastics were very unstable.
Good Luck,
Yours, Guy.Comment
-
Back to the "drawing board" after trying to open the Kit this past weekend. The contents are completely stuck together and there is a hard seal, formed by what I believe to be melted malt extract tablets. The plastic case is quite brittle and it started to crack in three places when trying to gently prise it apart, this after an hour of careful removal of the hard edge seal I could get to. It may well be that this Kit has been in this condition for a very long time, the original owner served in Italy, so could even have failed back then. For the time being I have left it as it is and it may well be that it will have to stay that way or be destroyed in trying to open it and remove the spoiled items inside. Pictures attached with the outer case removed, one side looks far better than the other. Clive.Comment
-
The better side.Comment
Comment