What is it?

Hi everyone,

This is a piece that was owned by General Marshall. We believe it was given to him by his staff during WWII. For years everyone's guess is that it is a pointer tool of some sort, a clear plastic and metal pointer used to point to things on a wall map or something.

As you see in the last photo, the bottom metal piece screws off and inside is the little plastic and metal piece you see next to the cap.

Any guesses? Thanks!

 

Is that metal part Hollow???? The rest of it looks like a polymer swagger stick.....souvenir???? In which case.....maybe a flask???? Unless that clear part is GLASS!! If it is, then I haven't the foggiest, unless just a souvenir........that would be my WAG!!

 

Would a couple of batteries fit in there? It does look like a pointer. Wondering if it could be a forerunner of the laser pointer & that little bit a light bulb?

 

It's like an "aircraft marshalling wand" only clear instead of orange/red.

 

My eyes are tired....didn't even see the light bulb!!! I like your thinking, Bronwen!!!!!

 

light saber ....?

 

I wonder if this is an illuminated magnifier for small print lines.

 

You've probably already seen this but can't hurt to post:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento_Army_Depot

 

Yes, the metal part is hollow and the stick itself is a plastic, polymer-type material.

 

i thought about batteries as well, but thinking that this was made in the 1940s, I have a hard time believing that that little tiny plastic and metal thing was a light bulb. Where would the light come from? There's no filament and the bulb would easily overheat inside the metal and plastic casing.

 

Dimensions would help, O.D. of rear of tube, o/a length, inside dia. of small steel tube. My guess without knowing dimensions requested is that the little top hat piece is a combined switch, push button for a small flashlight that takes one or two small dry batteries in the steel cylinder. Pushing the button lights up the clear plastic wand for pointing at projected images. The flashlight part most likely uses the type of bulb with a magnifying lens built into the reduced-diameter front-end, maybe I can find a pic. The slim aluminum military pilot’s flashlights with switchable clear and red filters used the same type bulb.

 

Hi!
Perhaps a letter opener?

 

I have no clue what that thing is, but I can proffer one bit of information. My parents were given a Zenith radio for their wedding. Shortly after the war, it was given to me, and I used it after I had gone to bed. The radio had a dial like a clock face with a plastic cover. At the bottom middle there was a tiny light. Radio in bed, covers pulled up, classical music murmuring out, and a good Nancy Drew. Could always here my mother's footsteps coming for nightly check in time to douse the music.

 

Just curious, what does the SAAD stand for (letters inside the arrow)?

I found this list on one of the online acronym and abbreviation sites. I'm guessing it's one of the Army-related ones, since General Marshall was in the U.S. Army:

Acronym Definition
SAAD Sacramento Army Depot
SAAD System Administrator Appreciation Day
SAAD Society for the Advancement of Anaesthesia in Dentistry
SAAD Security Analysis and Design (Army)
SAAD Small Arms for Air Defense
SAAD Safety and Assurance Directorate (NASA)

 

That is what my post was about.

 

I saw your post and knew it was related to the initials. But didn't realize that was definitely connected to General Marshall, since I didn't see mention of him in the Wikipedia article. Sorry! It always helps me when people explain their links.

 

Since they made gadgets, probably the right SAAD. See it is a Superfund site now.

 

Maybe they missed our request for dimensions. Maybe I should have said “measurements.” Or maybe my avatar skeered ‘em.

 

That’s a San Antonio Air Depot insignia.