Emergency Sustenance Kit M1A1 Carbine?

A few have asked be about a Emergency Sustenance Kit that is on epay. 

But before you whip out your wallet, or apply for a mortgage for this,  read the information below

There are two sets of nomenclature on this aluminum drop box.

Sustenance Kit, Emergency Aircraft

Type D-1                                    (See Below)

Specification MIL-S-5775A           This specification refers to leather goods

M1A1 Gun                                 Discussed below

Stock No. 8330-552219              This does not follow the FSN nor te NSN number systems

Order No. AF 33(038) 26641

S. Buchsbaum & Company

U.S. Property

Maximum Gross Weight - 45 Pounds

CONT. ASSY. EMERG. SUS. KIT          Container, Assembly, Emergency Sustenance Kit

TYPE A-13                                       note diff spec than above

USAF P/N 46G3207 CCN-2                Uses a USAF part number instead of a Stock number

G. P, & F. CO                                    Different Mfg name

During WW2 there was the Army Air Corps which became the United States Army Air Forces in 1941. USAAF or AAF for short.  In wartime Army contracts the contact number has AC (Air Corps?) used as an identifier. In 1947 the AAF became independent of the Army becoming the United States Air Force USAF. 

During WW2 the SNL alpha numeric system was 7 digits, replaced by the FSN  circa 1955 and going to an 11 digit code. 

The first set of nomenclature has the stock number of 8330-552219 which is only 10 digits. However if using the FSN system the first 4 digits is the Federal Supply Classification Croup number, and in this case it would mean leather products. The MIL-S-5775A specifically refers to Sheepskin, Chrome Tanned Leather, Fleshers, which would be the inner layer of the hide. This would be used in the lining of flight suits, jackets and gloves for high altitude applications. This Mil-spec was from December 26, 1951

It may be that the newly formed USAF was using there own system, which the FSN was trying to bring all branches to one system for better logistics. Earliest mention of the new FSN system was about 1952. However implementation has been cited as 1955 and 1958. 

The first set of nomenclature says it is a Type D-1, second nomenclature lists as Type A-13 

It may be that one company made the container and another filled the container. Note how one has a stock number, the other a part number. 

I suspect these containers may have contained many different items over their life span and filled with different things for different situations. 

A quick look shows that S. Buchsbaum & Company did provide sustenance kits during WW2, but there would be no Air Force contracts at this time and would have been a Army contract.  the contract order number would be laid out as Order No. 33038 AC 26641 with the AC being the Air Corps. 

 

Over on the US Militaria Forum there is a similar container with items in it 

KIT-EMERGENCY, SUSTENANCE, AIR / TYPE E18 A SPEC / MIL-K-5775

The specification on this container is E-18, which later became the D-1 kit. The Mil-spec is according to the post is Survival/Emergency Kit. I did not look into the specification further 

The elephant in the container. The M1a1 Gun, and what was it. It is easy to jump to the conclusion it was a carbine. 

The M1a1 carbine came in at about 5.5 lbs

M4 Survival Rifle approximately 4 lbs. .22 Hornet. collapsed to 14 inches 

M6 Survival Rifle approximately 4.5 lbs. and was .22 hornet and .410 shotgun (over under type) folds in half to about 15 inches.

Note both containers state 45 lbs. I suspect this was the max for the parachute setup. 

Now factor the weigh of the ammo

50 Hornet .9 lbs

50 .30 carbine about 1.4 lbs If the containers had 150 or 200 rounds it starts making a difference. 

My initial though was it was probably a flare gun. 

TM 9-2018 is the operation and maintenance of such items. Though not a gun in the conventional sense, there is a Ground Signal Projector M1A1 which was a flare device that was about a 2 foot pole that would be put against the ground and launch a flare. I can only speculate that  it would have launched a flair that had more kick than one shot out of a pistol type flare gun, think a carbine with a grenade launcher. 

Interested in what others may know or speculate, but this has been more of a "Be Aware" when something is listed as having ties to the M1 carbine and therefore worth of a high price tag. 

One more link https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/usaaf-wwii-emergency-aircraft-405496431