The huge expansion and reorganization of the US Armed Forces in 1942, triggered an enormous increase in requirements of all kinds, for subsistence, clothing, equipage, gasoline and lubricants, and general supplies. Procurement included not only large and costly munitions, items such as tanks, artillery, self-propelled guns, motor vehicles, ammunition of all kinds, and very ‘special’ equipment – but also thousands of types of small and relatively inexpensive articles, such as socks, shirts, shoes, undergarments, canned goods, perishable foods, sleeping bags, knives, canteen cups, soap, paper, and medical supplies. In absolute figures, the total value of procurement deliveries to the Medical Department would however never represent more than 1%, i.e. 786 million Dollars between January 1942 and December 1945. Necessary supplies were provided via an overall system based upon planning, production, procurement, storage and distribution. Emphasis was also placed on research and development, and the Medical Department, like other Government agencies, collaborated with industry, working closely on specifications, manufacturing methods, distribution procedures, pooling of production resources, introduction of new and improved products, and standardization. Being one of seven Technical Services, the Medical Department not only advised the War Department in the adequacy of clothing, footwear, rations, and medication; it designed, procured and issued various items of supplies and equipment! During the course of the war, the Medical Department placed numerous contracts with various manufacturing companies to produce the supplies necessary for wartime medical treatment. This article focuses on the manufacturers and suppliers of Medical Equipment during the Second World War.

Canvas Equipment:

Airtress Midland
American Awning Company
Appleton Awning Shop
Arnold Manufacturing Company
Atlantic Manufacturing Company
B.A.Co.
B.A.B.Co.
B.A.S.
B.B.S.Co (Bauer Brothers Shoe Company)
Barrett Shoe Co.
Bearse Manufacturing Company
Bickford Brothers Co.
Biscayne Tent & Awning Co., Inc., Miami, Florida
Boyt
Brauer
Brede Inc.
Breslee Manufacturing Corporation – New York, New York
Burlington Mills, Inc.
Cadillac Fabrics
Charleston Tent and Awning Co.
Dubuque Awning & Tent Company
E.A. Brown
Endicott Johnson Corporation – Endicott, New York.
Eureka Tent & Awning Co., Inc., Binghamton, New York
George Tiemann & Company – New York City, New York
Guyot Bros. Company, Inc. – Attleboro, Massachusetts
H. Jacob & Sons Inc.
Hettrick Manufacturing Company, Statesville, North Carolina
Hillsdale Manufacturing Company
Hoosier T. & C. G. Co.
Indianapolis Tent and Awning Company – Indianapolis, Indiana
Independence Awning
J.A. Shoe
J.Q.M.D. (Jeffersonville Quartermaster Depot)
J. & A.M.
J. S. & S.Co.
J. Sklar Manufacturing Company – Long Island City, N.Y.
Joys Bros. Co.
Knoxville Awning, Tent & Tarpaulin Co, Inc.
L.C.C.Co. (L. C. Chase & Company – Watertown, Massachusetts)
Langdon Tent & Awning Co.
Lub. Prod. Co.
Meyers & Son ManufacturingCompany
Mid-West Duck & Canvas Company
Minnesota Specialty Co.
N.Y.D.C. Mfg. Co. (New York Drop Clothing Manufacturing Company – New York, New York)
New Castle Products, New Castle, Indiana
Norfolk Tent & Awning Supply Co., Inc.
Poster Products Inc., Chicago, Illinois
Powers and Company, Chicago, Illinois
Progressive Coat & Apron Manufacturing Company
Prescott Wilson Inc.
R.M.T. Co.
Richard Green & Co.
Rock Island Armory
S. Froehlich Company, Inc.
Sammax Drapery Manufacturing Company
Sanicot Products Co., Manchester, New Hampshire
Shaeffer Tent & Awning Co.
Sigmund Eisner Company – Red Bank, New Jersey
St. Joseph Tent & Awning Co.
St. Louis Leather Goods Company – St. Louis, Missouri
Shaeffer Tent & Awning Co. Superior Surgical Manufacturing Company, Inc. – Northport, Long Island
T.F. Spec. Co.
The Nite Kraft Corp.
The Stuart Keith Manufacturing Company
Tulsa Canvas Products Co., Tulsa, Oklahoma
Victory
W.L.M.C.Co.
Warren Leather Goods Company – Worcester, Massachusetts

Surgical & Miscellaneous Instruments:

Amos Molded Plastics Company – Edinburgh, Indiana
Bard-Parker Company, Inc. – Danbury, Connecticut
Becton, Dickinson & Company – Rutherford, New Jersey
Breslee Manufacturing Company – New York, New York
BurroughsWellcome & Company, Inc. – New York, New York
C. Wheaton Company
Camillus Cutlery, Inc. – Camillus, New York
East Rutherford Syringes, Inc., East Rutherford, New Jersey
Edward Weck & Company – New York, New York
Faichney Instruments Corporation – Watertown, New York
G.M. Manufacturing Company
George Tiemann & Company – New York City, New York
Guyot Brothers Inc. – Attleboro, Massachusetts
H. Boker & Company – New York, New York
J.S. Klar Manufacturing Company – Long Island City, New York
Jennings Silver Company
Kafelt
Kops Brothers, Inc. – New York, New York, Long Island, New York
La Cross
Mercer Glass Works, Inc. – New York City, New York
North & Judd Manufacturing Company – New Britain, Connecticut
Oneida– New York City, New York
Pioneer –New York City, New York
Phil-Mart Product Company
Pratt Manufacturing Company – Coldwater, Michigan
Reed & Barton – Taunton, Massachusetts
The Randall Faichney Company – Boston, Massachusetts
Silko
Sherman Tool, Die & Metal Stamping Company
Sklar Instruments – West Chester, Pennsylvania
The Lobl Manufacturing Company, Middleborough, Massachusetts
Tweedie Footwear Corporation
Wallace & Tiernan Products, Inc. – Belleville, New Jersey
Wimco

Surgical Dressings and Supplies:

A. E. Halperin Company, Inc. – Boston, Massachusetts
Abbott Laboratories, Inc. – North Chicago, Illinois
Acme Cotton Products Company, Inc. – New York City, New York
Addressograph Division, Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation – Euclid, Ohio
Allen Laboratories, Inc. – Palmer, Massachusetts
Allied Products, Inc. – Suffern, New York
Allied Safety Equipment, Inc. – Houston, Texas
American Dietaids Company, Inc. – Yonkers, New York
American Woolen Company, Inc.
Arthur E. Look, Inc. – Boston, Massachusetts
Atlas Laboratories – Akron, Ohio
B.F. McDonald Company – Los Angeles, California – San Francisco, California – Houston, Texas
Barnhardt Manufacturing Company – Charlotte, North Carolina
Bauer & Black, Division of The Kendall Company – Chicago, Illinois
Becton, Dickinson & Company – Rutherford, New Jersey
Baxter Laboratories, Inc. – Glenview, Illinois
Belfit Foundations, Inc. – New York, N.Y.
Ben Venue Laboratories
Berst-Forster-Dixfield Company – New York City, New York
Block Drug Company, Inc. – Jersey City, New Jersey
Boott Mills – Lowell, Massachusetts
Breslee Manufacturing Corporation – New York, New York
Burroughs Wellcome & Company, Inc. – New York, New York –Tuckahoe, New York
Charles Rabin & Company, Inc.
Chase Chemical Company – Newark, New Jersey
Chatham Manufacturing Company
Clark-Cleveland, Inc. – Binghamton, New York
Comfort Manufacturing Company – Chicago, Illinois
Conray Products Company – New York City, New York
Convenience, Inc. – Greenville, South Carolina
Cosgrove Brothers, Inc.
Cutter Laboratories, Inc.

Davis & Geck, Inc. – New York, New York
Davis Emergency Equipment Company, Inc. – Newark, New Jersey
Dayton Wheel Company – Dayton, Ohio
DeLong Hook & Eye Company  – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Division of the Kendall Company – Chicago, Illinois
E. J. Schabelitz Laboratory – San Diego, California
E. K. Demmel Company – Brooklyn, New York
E. R. Squibb & Sons – New York City, New York
E.D. Bullard Company, San Francisco, California
Eli Lilly and Company – Indianapolis, Indiana
Elizabeth Arden
Empire Chemical Company, Incorporated
Evans Chemetics, Inc. – New York, N.Y.
Ever Ready First Aid Kit Company, Inc.
F.N. Burt Company, Inc.
Fraas Surgical Manufacturing Company, Inc. – New York, New York
G. Barr & Company – Chicago, Illinois
Gaby Company – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
George B. Evans Laboratories, Inc. – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Gerstein Brothers Manufacturing Corporation – New York City, New York
Guderbrod Bros. Silk Company, Inc. – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Guild Foundations – New York, New York
Guild Products Corporation – Newark, New Jersey
Hampton Manufacturing Company – Carlstadt, New Jersey
Handy Pad Supply Company – Worcester, Massachusetts
Harco Chemical Corporation – New York City, New York
Haywood Tag Company – Lafayette, Indiana
Hynson, Westcott & Dunning, Inc. – Baltimore, Maryland
J. A. Deknagel & Sons, Inc. – New York, New York
Janesville Cotton Mills Company – Janesville, Wisconsin
Jeffrey-Fell Company – Buffalo, New York
Johnson & Johnson – New Brunswick, New Jersey – Chicago, Illinois
Joseph Adamson & Company
Joubert Cie, Inc. – New York City, New York
Julius Schmidt, Inc. – New York, N.Y.
Kendall Mills, Division of The Kendall Company – Walpole, Massachusetts
Kops Brothers, Inc. – Long Island, New York
Lambert Pharmacal Company – St. Louis, Missouri
Lederle Laboratories, Inc. – New York City, New York
Lewis Manufacturing Company, Bauer & Black – Chicago, Illinois
M. Wenglinsky & Sons, Inc. – New York City, New York
Mack Molding Company
Malinckrodt Chemical Works – St. Louis, Missouri
Marsales Company, Inc. – New York City, New York
Marietta Chair Company
Massachusetts Committee on Public Safety, Medical Division
Marshal Field & Company
McCleary Glass Products – Willowbrook, California
Medbridge Supply Company – East Cambridge, Massachusetts
Medical Supply Company – Rockford, Illinois
Merck & Company, Inc. – Rahway, New Jersey
Millburn Mills, Inc. – New York City, New York
Miller Products Company, Inc. – New York, New York
Mine Safety Appliances Company– Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company – Saint Paul, Minnesota
Mulford Biological Laboratories, Sharp & Dohme – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
National Carbon Company, Inc. – New York, New York
National First Aid Supply Company – New York City, New York
Oakville Company, Division of Scovill Manufacturing Company – Waterbury, Connecticut
Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation
Orthopedic Equipment Company – Bourbon, Indiana
Parke, Davis & Company
Pfeiffer Chemical Corporation – New York, New York – St. Louis, Missouri
Phillbern Thermometer Company, Inc. – New York, New York
Pioneer – New York, N.Y.
Purex Products, Inc. – Baltimore, Maryland
Physicians’ Drug & Supply Company – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Raymer Pharmacal Company – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Reichel Laboratories, Inc.
Revlon Products Corporation – New York, New York
Richard Green & Company – New York, New York
Rudich Scientific Apparatus Company – New York, New York
S. Woolman Inc., New York, New York
Salmanson & Company, Inc.
Salvus Products, Inc. – Chicago, Illinois
Sanette Manufacturing Company, Inc. – New Rochelle, New York
Schering Corporation – Bloomfield, New Jersey
Schering & Glatz, Inc. – New York – St. Louis
Scovill Manufacturing Company – Waterbury, Connecticut
Searle & Company – Chicago, Illinois
Sharp & Dohme – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Simmons Company
Skol Company, Inc. – New York, New York
Smith, Kline & French Company- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Smith, Kline & French Laboratories – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Southern Athletic Company, Inc.
Spencer Inc. – New Haven, Connecticut
Springfield Woolen Mills Company
Stafford Laboratories – Worcester, Massachusetts
Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, New York, N.Y.
Star Band Company, Inc. – New York City, New York
Strong Cobb and Company, Inc. – Cleveland, Ohio
T. C. Wheaton Company
Tally Register Company – New York, New York
Taylor Bond
The Absorbent Cotton Co., Valley Park, Missouri
The American National Red Cross – Washington, D.C.
The American Products Company – Cincinnati, Ohio
The American White Cross Laboratories, Inc. – New Rochelle, New York – Cape Girardeau, Missouri
The Anacin Manufacturing Company – Knoxville, Tennessee
The Bay Division, Parke Davis & Company – Bridgeport, Connecticut
The Bayer Company, Inc. – New York, N.Y.
The Coleman Lamp and Stove Company – Wichita, Kansas
The Drug Products Company, Inc. – Long Island City, New York
The George W. Luft Company, Inc. – Long Island City, New York
The Kauffman-Lattimer Company – Columbus, Ohio
The Machin-Bier Company, Inc. – New York City, New York
The Massillon Rubber Company – Massillon, Ohio
The Norwich Pharmacal Company – Norwich, New York
The Pac-Kit Company – Greenwich, Connecticut
The Risdon Manufacturing Company – Naugatuck, Connecticut
The Reese Chemical Company – Cleveland, Ohio
The Scholl Manufacturing Company, Inc.
The SeamlessRubber Company – New Haven, Connecticut
The Stuart Keith Manufacturing Company
The Torrington Company – Torrington, Connecticut
The Upjohn Company – Kalamazoo, Michigan
U.S. Products – Memphis, Tennessee
United Drug Company – St. Louis, Missouri
W. & K. Manufacturing Company – New York City, New York
Western Chemical Company – San Francisco, California
Whitehall Pharmacal Company – New York, New York
Winthrop Chemical Company, Inc. – New York City, New York
Yardley of London, Inc., Upton City, New Jersey
Zimmer-Thomson Corporation