Description
Original Item: The U.S. nomenclature is SIGNAL, DISTRESS, 1 SINGLE STAR, RED, M73. U.S. aircraft during World War Two all carried life rafts for ditching at sea, and part of the life raft equipment included distress signal flares and a projector. The projector is a small steel tube with a spring-loaded firing pin. This kind of device is much more compact for life raft packaging than a conventional flare pistol.
The signals themselves were packed three per lightweight steel case. The case is bright plated for protection against corrosion and then overpainted with red and labeled in black. Some of the paint has been lost over the years, but the case is in good condition. Due to their age, we recommend that no attempt be made to fire the signals. They are for display only.
