carbine cartouche ?

[musketshooter]

This is on the right side of the buttstock of my carbine. Can anyone identify it? Two pictures, one with flash and one not.

[Johnny in Texas]

It is the ord. acceptance mark used by Underwood Elliott Fisher through most of their m1 carbne production

[musketshooter]

Thanks. The receiver and barrel are marked Underwood, 3-44.

[Tuna]

The GHD was for Guy H. Drewry the Ordnance Inspector for Underwood.

[George in NH]

GHD?? Was not this person the Commanding Officer of the Ordnance District in which Underwood was located? At least, that is what I recall. Being at work, I cannot use my reference books. George in NH

[Tuna]

Guy H. Drewry became the Chief Ordnance Inspector for the Rochester district which also included Winchester and I think IBM as well as Underwood.

[George in NH]

"GHD" is also found on those M1911A1's that were produced in plants that were part of the Rochester Ordnance District.
George in NH

[Johnny P]

As noted by George, Brig. General Guy H. Drewry was the Army Inspector of Ordnance for the Hartford Ordnance District. Contract small arms and equipment manufactured and accepted in his district bore his initials.

Col. Frank J. Atwood was the Inspector of Ordnance for the Rochester Ordnance District.

[firstflabn]

LTG Levin H. Campbell, Jr.'s 1946 book, The Industry Ordnance Team should be (but apparently isn't) a must read for understanding WWII Ordnance Department operations.

Levin shows Drewry as Chief of Springfield Ordnance District from June 1942 through VJ-Day. Levin shows Drewry leading 2,262 personnel. Kinda hard to understand how he would have had time to perform inspections.

Appointed to his post a month after Drewry, Levin shows Atwood only had 1,928 personnel in his Rochester District, but he also might have had other things to do.

Where the idea came from that a BG and a COL would have any frontline involvement with WWII small arms procurement inspections is a mystery. Milsurp collectors also seem blissfully unaware that small arms amounted to only about 2% of the value of total Ordnance procurement in WWII (probably a good bit higher in these two districts, but still a tiny, tiny minority). Drewry had previously worked in the small arms division (including heading it), but his district chief position expanded his responsibilities enormously.

The Hartford Ordnance District ceased to exist in May 1942 when it was renamed Springfield.