Basic Field Manual, Signal Communication (FM 24-5), U.S. War Dept. (1939) - Suisun, CA Military Ephemera 🇺🇸📞⚔️

This volume is an authenticated official document of the U.S. War Department, the Basic Field Manual, Signal Communication (FM 24-5). It was issued on November 1, 1939, placing it just weeks after the start of World War II.

The book's collectible value is profoundly secured by its unique California Military Provenance: the front cover is stamped as property of "HQ. CO., 1st BN., 184th INF., THE ARMORY, SUISUN, CALIFORNIA". This piece is a strong acquisition for a collector of World War II home front, California National Guard, and U.S. Military History, documenting the signal corps procedures used at the beginning of the war.

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨

The manual details the procedures for Signal Communication, essential technical information governing signal communication for officers and enlisted men engaged in signal activities. The object of the manual is to furnish basic technical information for effective command and control.

The content page reveals the critical topics, which include Military Cryptography, Radio Communication, Pigeon Communication, and Wire Communication. A key illustration is a diagram of the EE-4 telephone, which provides details on its use for either local battery or common battery circuits. This manual is a direct, primary source on the U.S. Army's communications methods as they entered the Second World War.

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️

The document was published by the War Department and ordered by the Secretary of War. It is officially signed by G. C. Marshall, Chief of Staff, the future General George C. Marshall, who would become the most significant American military planner of World War II and later the architect of the Marshall Plan.

The inclusion of Marshall's signed authority on the document transforms it from a mere field guide into a piece of American military history with unassailable institutional authority. The manual was prepared under the direction of the Chief Signal Officer and was printed by the United States Government Printing Office.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

The manual's publication date of November 1, 1939, places it exactly two months after the German invasion of Poland, which began World War II. The United States was officially neutral but was rapidly gearing up for mobilization.

The book's explicit connection to the 184th Infantry Regiment in Suisun, California, links the high-level policy of the War Department to the local efforts of the California National Guard. This document is a tangible artifact of pre-war military preparedness on the West Coast, outlining the exact communication doctrine that would be used to train and mobilize the forces entering the war. This volume is a time capsule that documents the foundational technical and organizational standards of the U.S. Army at a critical junction in world history.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This volume is tailored for a Curator of World War II Military Ephemera and a Scholar of American Communications History. The Ideal Collector seeks primary source documents that provide explicit technical and organizational details of the pre-war military.

The book belongs in a collection focused on California National Guard History, Signal Corps Technology, or the works of General George C. Marshall. The unique Suisun, CA armory stamp makes it a non-replicable piece of military Americana, appealing to the collector who prioritizes documented, specific institutional history.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

This manual is an authenticated official GPO document from 1939, making it 86 years old. GPO publications are generally common, but this manual's value is entirely secured by the Ephemera Premium of its unique inscription.

The book is a piece of Content Scarcity due to the specific technical procedures it contains. The War Department issue date (1939) and the specific California regiment stamp transform the item into a verifiable historical document of American pre-war mobilization. The final price is positioned to reward the collector for this explicit military and regional historical documentation.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨

This is an official GPO manual in soft, buff-colored card covers.

• Positive Qualities:

  • The stapled binding is secure and intact.

  • The unique Suisun, CA regiment stamp is clearly legible on the front cover.

  • The internal text and technical diagrams are clean and fully legible, including the diagram for the EE-4 telephone.

  • The signature of G. C. Marshall, Chief of Staff, is documented on the Preface page.

• Imperfections:

  • The card covers show heavy wear, rubbing, and creasing.

  • The original price of 45 cents is still noted on the title page verso.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• The manual is signed "By ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR: G. C. MARSHALL, Chief of Staff", a reference to the future five-star general and Nobel Peace Prize winner.

• The instruction for "Pigeon Communication" is listed in Chapter 4, showing the wide range of communication technologies still in use by the U.S. Army in 1939.

• The diagram of the EE-4 telephone details the binding posts for external batteries and the connection of the handset cord.

• The stamp "HQ. CO., 1st BN., 184th INF. THE ARMORY, SUISUN, CALIFORNIA" links this document to the California National Guard, which was heavily mobilized for the war in the Pacific soon after this manual was issued.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Title: Basic Field Manual, Signal Communication (FM 24-5)

• Author: U.S. War Department

• Year of Publication: 1939

• Publisher: United States Government Printing Office (GPO)

• Place of Origin: Washington, D.C.

• Format/Binding: Softcover Field Manual (Buff-Colored Card Stock)

• Edition: Official Government Printing (Issued November 1, 1939)

• Rarity: Moderate Scarcity, Unique California Military Ephemera

• Verbatim Transcription of Inscription/Marking:

  • Cover Stamp: "HQ. CO., 1st BN., 184th INF. THE ARMORY, SUISUN, CALIFORNIA".

  • Handwritten Number: "No. 9" on the title page and cover.