Complete Navy 1942 Radio Gen w/IWO JIMA papers

[Sgt Shield]

Thanks Cris2006, thanks for the reply
I posted that the plates themselves that are mounted on the generator and they say it's for the TBX-4 Raido and it's a EF4 Navy generator issued to the Navy and it has the Navy stamp as seen in the photos. If it was for the Marines I'd keep it since I'm a former Marine lol. Any other info would be great or know anyone who might like to add this to they're collection :/

Originally Posted by cris2006

Hi,
It looks like a Navy EF-8 gas generator for a USMC TBX-8 radio, although the manual is of a previous model (EF-4). Some items simply do not belong to the generator set, like the chest microphone and headset, and maybe some of the cased accessories too (hard to see their labels). Collectors would notice the lack of the black and the red gas cans. Other than that, it seems ok.
Regards

[cris2006]

Thanks for the additional pics, you are right, it is a EF-4 to power a TBX-4! TBX-4 had a variety of power supplies, this was one of them and probably the least portable due to weight and also the least desirable in the front due to the noise of the gas engine, which would make it a perfect target. It was then probably used in fixed stations / rear HQs. For patrol use, TBX-4 would be carried by the marines in canvas backpacks (4 man load) and power would come from a battery case for the receiver and a hand cranked generator for the transmitter. It was a field set that could not be operated on the march, requiring 6-10 minutes to set up, warm up and finally transmitt a short message... Although it says Navy on the plates, please note that Navy Department Bureau of Ships supplied virtually all comms gear to the US marines up until 1943-1944, when the "Navy" radios started being replaced by army models. In that sense, what collectors call today WWII USMC radios were in fact all Navy Department Bureau of Ships contracts: long range TBX models, short range backpack TBY models, marine paratrooper MAB radios, DAV-2 radio receiver and direction finder, etc...In 1943-1944 the marines started using army model radios (US Army Signal Corps contracts) such as the BC-1000 walkie talkie and BC-611 handie talkie and others, which made things easier for combined operations with Army units also fighting in the Pacific. Nevertheless, TBX radios, and other Navy / USMC models were never entirely replaced, and many soldiered on until the end of the war. The last of the TBX models, TBX-8, was a late 1944 / early 1945 contract...
Regards

[Hue]

Nice items but don't plan your retirement around them.
I have several TBX's of various productions, and maybe 2 complete in portable configuration with handcrank gen. I bought two complete in transit case many years ago and foolishly discarded the cases. I also have vibrator supplies for the -8 version. Never was interested in gas engine gens myself as they don't lend themselves to indoor use. TBX is a very nice looking and splendidly built radio but the front panel is pretty well loaded with radium paint.

[Hue]

I think I read on the milsurplus group that the TBX actually made it into the early
Korean War.
The engine-gen would likely also have been used in the U.S. Navy's SACO coast watching stations in China. There exists documentation that the TBX was used by
the reporting stations.
Altho the Navy supplied U.S. Navy equipment to the Philippine guerilla movements,
there apparently exists no documentation that the TBX was used there. I would guess this was because of the low top frequency limit of the radio.