[Paddler]

My military experience (1969 - 1971) says that the average soldier in WWII probably didn't carry a pen or pencil around in his pocket at all. He didn't carry a writing utensil because he didn't carry paper in his pockets (at least, not the kind you write on ;) ) Letter writing was mostly done back at a barracks or billet where his baggage was. That being the case, he could have used any pen available in the civilian market.

Paddler

[zubipen]

And from the German side? Montblanc always has been a luxury brand so I think the regular soldiers use something lik pelikan, matador, osmia

[donwinn]

Last year at one of the semi monthly Dallas Pen Club meetings, one of the members gave a presentation about a Parker Vacumatic pen he had purchased,and its history. He had been able to track down the original owner of the pen, who received it for high school graduation. He was able to talk to the gentleman and get some of the history. The man carried the pen with him through the European Theater of WWII, and wrote letters home with it, and wrote to a pen pal whom he met through a program where people stateside would be pen pals with soldiers. In fact, he became enamored of the pen pal, and married her after the war, and they are still married, over 50 years. So, at least one man carried a Parker Vacumatic from 1941 through Europe and wrote home with it throughout the war.

Donnie

[RLTodd]

The age of the indelible pencil (ink pencil) lasted well into the 1960's.

[Kaweco]

zubipen, on 25 October 2009 - 04:45 AM, said:

And from the German side? Montblanc always has been a luxury brand so I think the regular soldiers use something lik pelikan, matador, osmia

Hi all
German soldiers wrote with fountainpens. It was the best writing article and they sent masses of letters home. During each wartime the demand for good writing equipment inflated dramatically, the production during ww2 increased to its peak in 1940. Then, because of the shortage of rare materials, the production went down but was in 1945 even higher as in 1936! There were lots of primary orders from the military government and the producers had often not been able to fulfill the longlasting contracts with the wholesalers and shops. I have a letter in my collection with the personal signature of Mr. Voss, who was one of the MB owners, where he beagged at a client for foreign military order receipts to be able to serve more for private people. MB was only one among many other brands in these ancient times! They really did not make "better" fps than Kaweco, Soennecken or Osmia. The fountainpen as a tacky sign of luxury is an invention of our modern times.
Another problem for the fp producers during the war was that Speer converted the factories partially to wheapon- and other war- products. Therefore some smaller factories like GEHA and Discus had to stop their fp production totally.
My grandpa and his family had a fp repair shop and one of those numerous submicro fp productions. Actually they made business during ww2. In a letter from France the brother of my grandpa ordered pistons for repair and fountainpens for the black market at the front line in Paris. There they purchased Cognac, female French underwear and other fancy stuff which they sent to Germany. There it was exchanged to food to survive.
Kind Regards, Thomas

[zubipen]

Many thanks for your very well informed clarification. It would be marvelous to see that letter of Mr Voss. Some time before I read that the German army had a kind of color-code with the ink they use in their seals and signatures.¿You know something about that?

Kaweco, on 25 October 2009 - 09:45 AM, said:

zubipen, on 25 October 2009 - 04:45 AM, said:

And from the German side? Montblanc always has been a luxury brand so I think the regular soldiers use something lik pelikan, matador, osmia

Hi all
German soldiers wrote with fountainpens. It was the best writing article and they sent masses of letters home. During each wartime the demand for good writing equipment inflated dramatically, the production during ww2 increased to its peak in 1940. Then, because of the shortage of rare materials, the production went down but was in 1945 even higher as in 1936! There were lots of primary orders from the military government and the producers had often not been able to fulfill the longlasting contracts with the wholesalers and shops. I have a letter in my collection with the personal signature of Mr. Voss, who was one of the MB owners, where he beagged at a client for foreign military order receipts to be able to serve more for private people. MB was only one among many other brands in these ancient times! They really did not make "better" fps than Kaweco, Soennecken or Osmia. The fountainpen as a tacky sign of luxury is an invention of our modern times.
Another problem for the fp producers during the war was that Speer converted the factories partially to wheapon- and other war- products. Therefore some smaller factories like GEHA and Discus had to stop their fp production totally.
My grandpa and his family had a fp repair shop and one of those numerous submicro fp productions. Actually they made business during ww2. In a letter from France the brother of my grandpa ordered pistons for repair and fountainpens for the black market at the front line in Paris. There they purchased Cognac, female French underwear and other fancy stuff which they sent to Germany. There it was exchanged to food to survive.
Kind Regards, Thomas

[Ernst Bitterman]

Quote

My military experience (1969 - 1971) says that the average soldier in WWII probably didn't carry a pen or pencil around in his pocket at all.... Letter writing was mostly done back at a barracks or billet where his baggage was

My understanding of the WWII experience is that it was rather more fluid, at least on the Allied side-- constant movement, no fixed barracks, all that good fun. As to the thrust of the question, does it really matter if he carried it in his pocket (in danger of being fallen upon), or kept it in his duffel (loot for the REMF crowd)?

[Johnny Appleseed]

Another point is that soldiers came from all walks of life. I have a great-uncle who died flying supplies over the hump in Burma. He was the youngest son of one of the wealthier families in New Haven, and volunteered shortly after Pearl Harbor, as I am sure did many sons of the upper class. While education and pull probably put them in the Officer corp, they served and fought, and would have probably carried a 1st tier pen.

John

[Deirdre]

zubipen, on 24 October 2009 - 08:45 PM, said:

And from the German side? Montblanc always has been a luxury brand so I think the regular soldiers use something lik pelikan, matador, osmia

Sure, they've always been a luxury brand -- that explains making student steel-nibbed models like the 342, doesn't it?

I can't speak to whether their student pens were upmarket compared to other makers -- or not -- but they did have everyday pens that were not luxury models.

[gmberg]

My Dad, though U.S. Army Medical Corps in WWII, went as "ship's compliment". He made 16 Atlantic crossings and several trips to the Philippines. All the letters he wrote home as well as the diary he kept were written in ink. I wish I knew what pen he used. He remembers only his post-War pens. Still: not bad memory at age 91!
Gerry

[MiamiArcStudent]

I also would love to see that letter if possible.

Thanks

[zubipen]

there is a Topic with pics in the montblanc forum about a Montblanc pen found in german sub. Amazing

[Philips]

Kaweco, on 25 October 2009 - 03:45 PM, said:

Therefore some smaller factories like GEHA and Discus had to stop their fp production totally.

Hello there, I'm always interested in reading about these kind of things. Do you know what these companies would have been asked to produce instead of fountain pens during these dark days?

[HBlaine]

Well, it's past the WWII period, but my Dad served in the occupation of German, 51-53. He certainly didn't come from a "wealthy" family, being the youngest of six boys off a farm in rural WV. I do know that he bought and carried his own Sheaffer "fat" Touchdown Sheaffer Statesman set while he was in the service. Not an inexpensive purchase, by any stretch. I have letters he wrote home from Germany, and (having written with the pen) I know he wrote them with this particular Sheaffer. (I also know that someone bought him a Parker 51 for a graduation present in 1947, but he didn't carry that with him.)

As far as the war period, I'm pretty sure one of Dad's brothers, who served in the Pacific Theater, had a standard black Eversharp Skyline (which he later gave to me) which he carried. I've seen letters written home from him that were written with a fountain pen. I've also seen letters home from my oldest uncle (who also served in the Pacific), that were obviously written with a fountain pen, but I have no idea if it was his, borrowed, or what. (I have seen letters written in pencil, too.)

[zubipen]

Here is the link about the Montblanc found in a U Boat during WW II http://www.fountainp...howtopic=129456 is amazing