D/|\D marked tools

[Mike Cecil]

Zircalloy was a post-WW2 brand name of the Lithgow Small Arms factory, according to their website:

"Post WWII period

From 1945 production of the SMLE, Vickers and Bren guns ceased, and the following 2 years saw closure of all feeder factories. Workforce numbers at Lithgow had halved and the factory again entered a period of decline as it had post WW1. Once again the Factory was operating on 'nucleus' policy requiring that skilled workers and raw materials be kept at levels specified by the Government.

Between 1945 and 1950 military work at the factory consisted of reconditioning weapons, mainly SMLE's and Owen guns. Refurbishment programs were also carried out on Brens, Vickers, Brownings and Thompsons, Besa cannons and Hispano cannons. Commercial production once again began to overtake military work. As part of the New South Wales Government's re-equipping after World War II the Factory manufactured parts for locomotives (including the C38's) and rolling stock.

Other commercial production at this time included refrigerator and Sunbeam Mixmaster parts, Westrex film projector spares, handcuffs, Slazenger golf club heads and the old turn-handle pencil sharpeners. The Factory was both retailer and wholesaler of its own Zircaloy brand open-ended, ring and adjustable spanners. Pinnock sewing machines were entering production in 1950."

Wartime tools may or may not be marked with the DD symbol: there is quite a lot of correspondence about the time and effort to mark up tools, and whether this was necessary. Post war, tool and equipment purchases were routinely marked DD by the manufacturer - I remember stamping thousands of 1 pint oil pourer bodies and meat safes with the hand operated screw press, prior to final assembly, during the 1970s.

Mike