Agana Guam Hobbleskirt Coke

[SODAPOPBOB]

ORIGINAL: epackage

I meant an online version that has been scanned for us to peruse...[]

Unless we can find one at the local Barnes & Noble[]

I hear ya. But what's this "we" stuff? Don't forget, Christmas is just around the corner ... hint-hint

Bob

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

ORIGINAL: 42station

64 faculties supplied U.S. servicemen and women with over 5 billion bottles of Coca Cola during WW2.

42 ~

Thanks. I have seen similar numbers. But please don't tell Dave about this or else he might "blow a cork" if he knew how many bottles he still has left to examine. (Lol)

Bob

 

[epackage]

Here's the page, it appears only the Cokes got this cap, the others seem like normal caps...

 

[epackage]

Don't forget the two pages of beer...

 

[epackage]

.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Jim ~

You amaze me! [sm=thumbup.gif]

But I won't ask how you do dat? I'll just enjoy it along with a great big ...

THANK YOU!

And for those who like readin' words and lookin' at pics, check these out ...

http://www.nww2m.com/2011/08/coca-cola-the-pause-that-refreshed-2/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/photographe_professionnel_namur/2493865217/sizes/z/in/photostream/

 

[daven2nl]

Very cool and thanks for sharing the book pages - it is great to see what all the paper labels looked like, since they are all long gone now (just a pile of brown, clear, and green glass bottles all about the same size).

Here's another one for Bob to ponder. Bottle given to me from a ship crew that visited Ulithi, an atoll that was a major anchorage for the US Navy in the later years of the war.

Typical clear 1944 PAT-D O-I bottle... with a "0" to the left of the MFR mark.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Summary / Observations / Food For Thought / Points To Ponder / Research / Speculation

I added Dave's 'O' bottle to the list, which now comprises the following letters on the bottles examined so far ...

A ~ B ~ C ~ D ~ H ~ K ~ L ~ N ~ O ~ P ~ R ~ S

Another note of interest is, all of the wartime bottles listed thus far, except two of them, are clear glass and have no city/state on the base. The exceptions are Dave's two green bottles, both of which are dated 1944, and both of which are from Oakland, California. To date I am not aware of a single clear glass bottle that has a city/state on the base. If this is in error, please bring it to my attention.

I came across the following text (which I edited slightly) regarding a similar discussion on a different forum. Note where the individual speaks of two different bottles that were found at the same location. Both are dated 1944. Both have D-105529. But one is green and one is clear. But what's most interesting are the so called mystery numbers/codes. One has a single 8 while the other one has a 8A. Also note that the single 8 is on the green bottle and the 8A is on the clear bottle.

Especially note where he says both bottles were found in Brisbane, Australia.

"Two bottles ... both dug here in Brisbane, Australia, near to where there used to be a U.S. camp in WWII. One is a green bottle with "Oakland Calif "stamped on the bottom. The patent number is D-105529.There is a stamp at the thinnest part of the skirt which reads 8 (symbol) 44 ... the other one dug from the same location is a clear bottle. It also has Patent number of D-105529, but instead of a single 8, it is marked with 8A (symbol) 44. The symbol looks like a circle with a flatter circle across it. The best I can describe it is, that it looks like the planet Saturn ... <(I)>

Note: Among other things, this is another example of a green wartime bottle from Oakland, California.

Here's where the speculation part comes in, which starts and ends with a question ...

1. I wonder why all of the "green" wartime bottles are dated 1944 and have Oakland, California embossed on the base?

(Remember: We are still not sure who made the green, Agana, Guam bottle. Bill Porter said he suspects it was made by Chattanooga Glass and not Owens-Illinois)

2. Is it possibe the letters ( as in the case of the 8A Australian bottle ) represent where the bottles were primarily intended to be shipped, and that the 'A' on that particular clear glass bottle stands for Australia?

3. But if this is even remotely possible, then how do we account for the multitude of different letters found on Dave's Pacific theatre bottles?

So many observations and questions, but with so few bona fide answers. Its enough to drive a guy bonkers.

Bob

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Clairification ...

When I said "all of the green 1944 bottles have Oakland, California embossed on the base," I was referring only to those bottles found outside of the continental United States and not those distributed here on the homefront. Coca Cola was obviously being produced at home during the war years and there are jillions of those green bottles that have various cities/states embossed on the bases.

One note of interest about Oakland, California is that it is located on the west coast and was nearest to the action in the Pacific. As for the bottles sent to the eastern action in Italy, France, etc;, there is not enough information available on those particular bottles that I am currently aware of to even comment on them.

Bob

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Just for the record ...

Here's Bill Porter's list again regarding bottles in his collection that have number/letter combos. Note that three of the four have the letter 'A' but that none of them, including the 1944, is embossed on the base with Oakland, California.

Petaluma, California ... 2A <(I)> 44 (1944)
Susanville, California .. 3A <(I)> 47 (1947)
Pocatello, Idaho ......... 8A <(I)> 50 (1950)
Reno, Nevada ............ B3 <(I)> 50 (1950)

Please note it has been over a year since I got this list from Bill and, if I recall correctly, he said all four of the bottles were green glass and not clear. The reason I am reposting this list is primarily to point out two things ...

1. Irregardless of my recent "speculation," I seriously doubt that any of Bill's 'A' bottles have anything to do with Australia.

2. The one from Pocatello, Idaho has the same 8A as the Australian bottle, but instead of being dated 1944 it is dated 1950.

Question: So what does this all mean and what am I trying to say?

Answer: It means I'm trying to say I have a lot more questions than I do answers and that I believe we have only scratched the surface on being able to determine exactly what the letters represent. No doubt a great deal more research will likely be required before we figure it out. However, I am totally confident there is a simple answer, but finding that answer is definitely eluding me at the moment.

Bob