Aladdin Australia

At, say 3 Pound each that just over 300 lanterns "if" that is what the order was for,
I found in as early as Nov1946 Government Disposal Auction - 132 Alladdin Lanterns some with mantles
am sure I found also in Gov auctions 2burner Aladdin stoves

 

I will enter these here for easy reference Admins may see fit to move if desired:-





There's a bit more to come yet, will do some more tomorrow.

 

Perhaps this one is more specific and should convince everyone that Aladdin did supply the armed forces?

1944

5885 Req. 13518.—Lanterns, pressure, £19,575 13s. lOd.—
Aladdin Industries Pty. Ltd.

 

I was uncertain that Aus Army had used Aladdin originally but from my own searches I am now convinced .

There at least 2 other Auctions listing Aladdin lamps or lanterns

 

I wish they has stamped the DD marking on them, we should complain about it LOL

So these wartime built Aladdins would have green painted founts ? Has anybody definately identified a wartime made Aladdin lantern or is that query been put to rest in the too hard basket ?

 

@Handi-man

My comment, as mere speculation, is that all the wartime Aladdins would have come out of the factory the same whether they ended up in the military or civilian market. I can’t see the factory having two different production streams: things were pretty tight then, as you know.

Tony

 

Possibly but anything supplied under a defense contract was normally painted or finshed in a matt finish. The army was obsessive about it

 

@Handi-man

I'll look over my old ruined tanks and see what I can find.

Cheers

Tony

 

This is my only example . I think from the 1950's ? It has remains of a red decal on it.

 

@Nils Stephenson

Nils,

Are you able to identify the Model No of the lamps being assembled in this photo? The photo was purportedly taken at Aladdin's Waterloo factory in Dec, 1945.

Of course anyone else that wishes to identify the lamps feel free.

For what it is worth, I believe the lamps are 12A

 

The length of the pump tube external to the tank, and it’s position makes me think they are Aladdin 1A lanterns (happy to be contradicted, though).

1A:


(Photo @Tony Press)


Aladdin 12A.

(Photo @Graham P)

Aladdin 12A.

(Photo @Nils Stephenson)

Cheers

Tony

 

You will know more about Handi than I. Were Handi lanterns ever painted?

I think you are dwelling on the broad arrow too much and over thinking the armed forces use of lanterns and stoves.

Remember, not all of these units would have been for the forward lines where a glint off a lantern may give their posistion away. Hundreds of thousands of troops were stationed in Australia during the course of the war and would have used units in the training field etc.

Handi Works: Winning The War - 1944

"very, very limited."

 

Tony,

Perhaps you are correct. I thought I could see a winged fuel cap and mistaken it for a 12A. I actually own a 1A that has it's own distinct winged fuel cap.

 

@Matty

I have one of those Aladdin 1As with the winged cap. I think it’s in my “Classified as Irrepairable” pile.

Cheers

Tony

Edit: @Matty. It has the same pump cap (that screws to the pump tube).

 

@Tony Press @Anthony

Tony,

I have preached to Anthony that I think these winged cap Aladdins were the first 1A's

My reasoning was, I have a few, and they can come with differing metals which seems consistent with intermintent war time supplies.

The one I have shown above is completely brass apart from the top hood cap which is copper and the pump cap which is copper.

Others don't have the copper componants and can have steel cages.

The downside of considering the above is, one would would have expected brass and copper to be scarce during the war and would have been least used. Having said that, I assume there must have been shortages of steel at times too.

I also suspect that brass and copper would have been made available, if at all possible, to those that needed it and were supplying the armed forces.

It should be remembered that not only were there Australian troops in Australia during the war but those of many countries. I have seen where Aladdin was supplying US troops with lamps. I might get the time to snoop around and see if other Australian companies supplied forces for Allies whilst they were in Australia.

Tony, my winged capped Aladdins are all sound to my knowledge.

 

@Matty

I was going to say that I thought the winged filler cap and “Aladdin 1A” stamped on the collar could be a or the very early version... I’ll dig out anything similar in the shed and post here.

Tony

 

It was known as reverse Lend-Lease. After the war both the US and Aust. Governments came to an arrangement and the slate was wiped clean. We supplied the US forces with uniforms, vehicles radios and lots more

 

@Tony Press

I saw one of these winged cap Aladdins placed for sale on ebay. From memory, it was $30 BIN. I thought someone is going to be very happy when they buy and fettle the lamp and find it is completely brass. The lamp was listed week after week with no takers. In the end, I had to end the lamps indignity, and bought it despite not wanting it.

If I may, i'd like to touch on the burners. I have had brass burners and steel burners on differing 1A's. I assume everyone has. What I'd like to know is, how many differing types of burners did Aladdin use?

I found a parts list which seems to list four differing burners. I at first thought perhaps they had different size jets in them so a part number was given indivisually to distinguish between the burners + whatever jet was used.

However, I noticed in the same parts list, only one 'nipple' was listed. Nipple = jet?

 

@Matty

I’ll look through my vapourisers (generators) as well.

Nipple = jet (sometimes = nozzle): usually “jet” in North American English; “nipple” in UK English.

I usually refer to it as a nipple (as in “grease nipple”) and the hole that is in the nipple that vapourised fuel comes out of as the jet.

Australian manufactures called it both nipple and jet. See my post here:


https://classicpressurelamps.com/threads/india-durax-lantern.12324/#post-84815

Cheers

Tony

 

@Tony Press

I don't subscribe to the site so I am unable to view your linked page.

Yes, that makes a lot of sense. I have always been in the habit of calling the nipple + jet, generically: jet . I think your way is better.

 

@Matty

I said:

Starts:

"The issue [of what that thing is called] is different terminology in different countries; and sometimes the same country.

"In Australia and the UK, we would normally call the brass fitting that the vapourised fuel is emitted from, a “nipple” and the hole in the nipple is called a “jet”. But, even as (alleged) English speakers, folks from the USA call the nipple a jet.

"“Nozzle” seems to me to be a continental Europe term. I thought it applied to the flame spreader that the mantle sits over...

"Australian manufacturers used a variety of terms for these objects: Aladdin called the nipple a nipple, but Austramax called the nipple a jet.

"Both Austramax and Aladdin called the flame spreader a “burner”."

Ends.

Cheers

Tony

 

@Tony Press

Thanks for that. It is a very insightful post.

Let me say this. Whilst you are spot on about what the varius countries called what, what, there are people like me that learn from multi national user based forums.

Because I'd never had any experience/s with pressure lamps (I nearly said GPA's) through my life until 3 years ago, I have learnt what I have from forums. Within those forums are nationals that use their terminology.

It was - still is, very confusing trying to figure out exactly what someone meant because one day I may have been reading a post and the term 'jet' was used, the next day the term 'tip' was used, etc, etc, etc.

I now often use generic terms for many things - table lamps, lanterns, hollow wire lights etc, are just lamps. I'm sure I confuse many forum users by doing that but hey, it's pay back time

Tony,

You remind me that I saw a parts list the other day and within that list, I saw flame spreader listed as a part for Aladdin pressure lanterns. I quickly ignored that list as I was terrified if I had of posted it, the ad, nay sayers, would have said "I told you so" "they have mantle lamp parts mixed in with pressure lamp parts so you can't trust it"

Tony, you said this above: "Both Austramax and Aladdin called the flame spreader a “burner”."

I'm pretty sure in the parts list I saw they had 4 "burners" listed and 1 "Flame Spreader"

I do hope I can find the list again.

 

@Matty

My comment "Both Austramax and Aladdin called the flame spreader a “burner”, was simply based on me looking at two documents in the Reference Library, one an Aladdin 1A set of operating instructions, the other and Austramax parts list. I'm sure, if we fiddle around enough, we might find all kinds of contradictions over the years - even from the same company. I've often thought about compiling a list of different names for each of these common parts,, but I'm a bit flat chat on a contract at the moment. Anything you dig up would be of interest.

Cheers

Tony

 

@Tony Press

Right, the first thing I need to clarify is, I made a mistake when saying 4 burners were listed. It was actually 4 generators. My mistake comes from a poor memory and not having the document in front of me.

Having said that, I knew it was generators I was talking about, just no one else did.

Tony, I never gave it a thought that you had made a mistake in saying the burners were actually called flame spreaders (in this document, you can see that that is the case. I was just pointing out what I, as it turns out, *thought* I had seen. I am glad to have found the document to prove my mistake of using the word burner instead of generator.

Anyway, here in the 1946 parts list you can see 4 generators listed with 4 different part No's.

It was somewhat interesting to me as I has seen a couple of articles representing Aladdin lamps as petrol lanterns. Defence Force supplied lanterns that is. I ignored those articles, as we all know Aladdin lanterns are kerosene.

When I saw the listings for 4 different type generators, I must admit, I wondered if they made a different jet to run the lamps on petrol. Perhaps even to comfort the US military that was so used to using gasoline pressure lanterns/stoves/lamps.

Now, looking at the list again, I see one of the generators and the nipple have matching Part No's A 84

I also noticed that the generator part No's skipped one No A 85 is not between A 84 and A 86

Another thing that catches my eye is two reflectors are listed of which one is a forward reflector. A forward reflector is news to me if no one else.

Oh, mica and glass chimney's too.

 

Aladdin 1A: “Nipple”, “Flame Spreader” and “Vapouriser.




Cheers

Tony

 

This old E bay listing indicates to my thinking that this variation of the 1A is May 52 (see Newspaper strip from under glass) or quite possibly earlier. maybe Gov Surplus?

Matty is there any date/printers code on your parts list?

 

Matty, post: picture of 1A

I think it is most likely that this is the first variation of Australian manufactured Aladdin 1A

 

@Graham P

Graham, the year the parts list was printed is 1946.

I doubt that 1AX is from 1952. Chrome founts were in by 1950. I suppose it doesn't mean that they didn't still paint some? Is it possible the plastic pump handle was in by 1952?

Graham, I have spotted something in the parts list that really interests me. It states Vapouriser OR Generator. Too me, they aren't giving an alternate name for the vapouriser, they are saying there are two to choose from, a vapouriser or a generator.

I know I will be criticised for my view here but I'm going to state it anyway. I think, the evidence is building that some Aladdin's burnt petrol.

I can assure you, until 2 days ago, the thought of petrol Aladdins had never crossed my mind. The thing is, doing searches over the last few days and seeing the parts lists that I found and the one you show, plus some articles I have seen - it is all circumstantial but I believe it is starting to build a solid case.

Now I have seen your parts list I may well try and see what I can find in relation to the possibility of Aladdin manufacturing petrol lamps. Everything I have seen I've been ignoring, not saving, as I assumed it was mistakes. I didn't set out to find a petrol Aladdin, just the things I saw incedentally from searching Aladdin make me think the possibility has to be explored further.

Just for the record, before, the bashers start, I am not saying Aladdins did burn petrol. I am stating the evidence is mounting that they MAY have burnt petrol - depending on if a generator or vapouriser was used. Perhaps jets too.

 

Yep, I agree. The winged fuel cap is what fooled me. I always did believe the winged fuel cap ones were the first and that photo tends to support the theory.

 

I wonder why the US Government couldn't extend the same generosity to the UK. It took us until 2006 to pay off our war debt...