Basic gear from mid-twentieth-century Britain: Dunlop, Heinke, Siebe-Gorman etc

[David Wilson]

Hi David, First time ever seeing the "Siebe Gorman " half mask other than in catalogues quite a rare item.Have added a couple of images of "FullFace" circa 1955 and the later 1959 "Vista" View attachment 475980 View attachment 475981 john68

Thanks for confirming the rarity of the Siebe-Gorman mask above, John. It must have come up on eBay at some time.

Thank you too for complementing the other SG half-masks with SG full-face masks. I posted catalogue images of the SG Full Face Mask model earlier in this thread but omitted the SG Vista from review. Here's the 1969 SG catalogue image of the latter:

The 1969 catalogue includes a "SeaCrown dry frogman's suit with integral helmet of glass fibre with vizor, incorporating breathing connections for use with any type of breathing circuit and suit inflation cylinder".

and here's another later SG Drysuit with full face coverage:

 

[David Wilson]

Time to move away from the "big beasts" of mid-20c British diving equipment manufacturing and to focus on the lesser fry. Let's start with the minor players of the 1950s. First for review are the "Featherwate" brand fins, masks and snorkels manufactured by Buttons Ltd of Portland Street, Aston, Birmingham 6, England's "second city" in the Midlands.

First a bit of background. “In order to counter foreign competition,” Ray Shill wrote In Birmingham’s Industrial Heritage: 1900-2000, “a merger took place in 1907 which brought three Birmingham button-making factories together. Thomas Carlyle (Ltd), Plant, Green & Manton (Ltd) and Harrison and Smith (Ltd) amalgamated to form Buttons Ltd. Work was centralised at three plants, two in Birmingham’s jewellery quarter and Carlyle’s plant at Aston. They became the largest linen-button manufacturer in the world and also made considerable quantities of metal buttons.”

In January 1952, the American magazine Golfdom announced: “General Sportcraft Co., Ltd., 215 4th av., New York 3, now is importing for distribution thru pro shops Buttons Ltd. line of Featherwate seat sticks and umbrella-seat stick combination. The line is smart-looking, sturdily and trimly constructed, light in weight and attractively priced. The Featherwate items are extensively used at the leading British golf and other field sport events.” The advertisement below appeared in the April 1954 issue of Golfdom announcing the availability of the Featherwate seat-stick in over thirty different models.

Grace’s Guide to British Industrial History identifies Buttons Ltd of Portland Street, Birmingham as manufacturers of buttons, buckles, seat-sticks and ‘Featherwate’ sports equipment in 1961. In the mid-1950s, the British Sub-Aqua Club journals Neptune and Triton featured publicity for Featherwate “quality swimming equipment, designed by underwater swimmers for underwater swimmers”. The advertisements ran between January 1956 and October 1957, giving details of the “Deluxe” and “Standard” underwater masks, single- and double-bend breathing tubes, adjustable open-heel swim fins and underwater kit complete with instruction leaflet. Attention was drawn to the quality and safety (“to be sure…”, “you’re safe…”) of Featherwate swimming equipment, which included ear-cups and nose-clips. According to these advertisements, Featherwate swimming equipment was available “from all good sports dealers everywhere.” When the line was discontinued remains unclear.

 

[David Wilson]

Buttons Ltd of Birmingham manufactured diving masks in deluxe and standard models.

Featherwate Deluxe Underwater Mask

So the product description read: "Deluxe Underwater Mask. Deluxe model, moulded in finest quality natural rubber, for full protection to the upper face, including the nose. Clear plastic safety lens for wide-angle vision. Adjustable headstrap ensures waterproof seal. Fitted with solid brass, nickel-plated lens rim."

As for the alternative Featherwate Standard Underwater Mask, all we know is that "every 'Featherwate' mask is fitted with a plastic safety lens" and therefore the "Featherwate Standard Underwater Mask" would have featured a plastic safety lens too. No illustrations of this model appeared in the firm's advertisements.

The Featherwate Deluxe Underwater Mask resembled many models of the time, e.g. the Typhoon Silver Star below, which came with similar body reinforcement ribbing:

 

[David Wilson]

Buttons produced two models of snorkel.

Featherwate Breathing Tubes

The caption describes the qualities of, and the differences between, the two snorkels: "Lightweight alloy. Attractive colours in a finish that resists corrosion. Straight type with open end for experienced swimmers, or fitted with a ball-type valve, which regulates your breathing."

These Featherwate breathing tubes are comparable with other manufacturers' models of the day, e.g. the Typhoon "T1" and "T2" snorkels below from 1956:

 

[David Wilson]

Buttons manufactured swimming fins in one adjustable open-heel style.

Featherwate Swimfins

The product description read: "Swimfins. Moulded from finest quality natural rubber for greater comfort. Heel strap with buckle adjustment. Available in three sizes, small, medium and large."

Unfortunately, Buttons Ltd advertisements did not explain how "small, medium and large" translated to individual, or even a range of, shoe sizes. I remain puzzled by the three disc-like features (embellishments?) located where the three blade-reinforcing ribs meet the foot pocket. My tentative conclusion is that they may be decorations resembling buttons in an allusion to the company's flagship product.

Buttons Ltd also offered a Featherwate Underwater Swimming Kit:

The caption read: "Underwater Kit. Complete with instruction leaflet at about £3 7s 0d."

Finally, according to the advertisement below in the January 1956 issue of the British Sub-Aqua Club journal Neptune, Buttons Ltd offered a range of quality swimming equipment including masks, swim-fins, breathing tubes, nose clips and ear cups. Although subsequent publicity in Triton gave detailed information about dive masks, snorkels and swim fins, it was unforthcoming about nose clips and ear cups. Buttons Ltd may have made these accessories at their Portland Street plant or rebadged and resold nose clips and ear cups bought from other manufacturers.

That's it for Buttons Ltd and its Featherwate brand. Using period advertisements as my source, I have reconstructed a mid-1950s Buttons Ltd Featherwate Swimming Equipment catalogue, which can be found at Featherwate.pdf. The PDF file at this online address contains the same information as I have posted above, arranged in the form of a short booklet. We'll look again soon at another minor player in the 1950s British basic underwater gear industry.

 

[David Wilson]

On to Millard Brothers and their "Milbro" brand underwater swimming equipment (ad above). According to Grace’s Guide to British Industrial History and the Blue Book of Gun Values, Millard Brothers Limited was a family-owned business established in 1887 in London, England. From the early 1900s, the company distributed hardware and sporting goods in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company’s trade name “Milbro” was a combination of the first three letters of “Millard” and “Brothers”. Using intellectual property and machinery confiscated from the Mayer and Grammelspacher Dianawerk (Diana Works) in Rastatt, Germany in 1945, Milbro began making airguns at its Diana Works factory in Motherwell, Scotland, in 1949.

The company’s range expanded to sailing dinghies, roller skates, darts, fishing tackle, toboggans, catapults and other “sporting goods of distinction”.

During the late 1950s, the British Sub-Aqua Club bi-monthly journal Triton featured a series of half-page advertisements for Milbro underwater swimming equipment, “made from first class materials – reliable in performance”. An illustrated catalogue was available “on request”, with further information about a “full range of equipment, accessories and harpoon guns”. The advertisements ran between July 1957 and February 1959, giving details of Milbro’s “Adult”, “Marine” and “Junior” dive masks; its single- and double-bend breathing tubes; its “Seamaster” full-face mask with twin snorkels; and its “Swiftfin” and “Marine” open-heel swim fins, which were probably the only swimming fins ever embossed with the words “Made in Scotland”. All items of Milbro underwater swimming equipment were “packed in attractive, colourful boxes” illustrated in the Millard Brothers underwater swimming equipment ad below.

The most enduring product in Milbro’s underwater range was its R294 single-bend breathing tube. The then “largest stockists of underwater equipment in the British Isles” J. G. Fenn priced this snorkel at eight shillings and four old pence in an advertisement in Triton’s January-February 1961 issue. Over four years later, the August 1965 edition of the consumer magazine Which? published an article entitled “Masks & snorkels” with field test results on several breathing tubes including the Milbro R294, then priced at five shillings and nine old pence. The testers’ verdict was that breathing was “easy” but clearing “difficult” on the surface with the R294 snorkel, whose mouthpiece was “too flat” with a “poor” comfort rating.

Millard Brothers eventually discontinued manufacture of underwater swimming equipment altogether, narrowing its core operations over the years to fishing tackle, sporting firearms, ammunition, and security products.

We'll take a closer look at the individual models in the Milbro range of diving masks, breathing tubes and swimming fins in subsequent postings.

 

[David Wilson]

Millard Brothers' diving mask range stretched to three models.

R277 Adult Mask

Captioned solely "Fitted with a strong Perspex lens", the mask appears to be an entry-level product without a metal clamp and adjustable screw to secure the faceplate.

R278 Marine Mask

Product description: "Fitted with a triplex laminated aero lens and metal clamping band." And no, I don't really know what "a triplex laminated aero lens" means. With its "metal clamping band" and longer skirts, the "Marine" is clearly a higher ticket item than the "Adult" mask.

R281 Junior Mask

This model was also "fitted with a strong Perspex lens" and designed to be a smaller version of Millard Brother's "Adult" entry-level diving mask.

 

[David Wilson]

Millard Brothers produced two models of snorkel. Both came complete with mask attachment.

R293 Snorkel

The product is described thus: "Double bend plastic tube. Fitted with ball valve."

R294 Snorkel

Product caption: "Straight 11/16" inside diameter plastic tube. Fitted with bent rubber mouthpiece for quick release if tube impeded."

As I wrote a couple of postings ago, the most enduring product in Milbro’s underwater range was its R294 single-bend breathing tube. The then “largest stockists of underwater equipment in the British Isles” J. G. Fenn priced this snorkel at eight shillings and four old pence in an advertisement in Triton’s January-February 1961 issue. Over four years later, the August 1965 edition of the consumer magazine Which? published an article entitled “Masks & snorkels” with field test results on several breathing tubes including the Milbro R294, then priced at five shillings and nine old pence. The testers’ verdict was that breathing was “easy” but clearing “difficult” on the surface with the R294 snorkel, whose mouthpiece was “too flat” with a “poor” comfort rating. As I mentioned in an even earlier message, the J-shaped R294 Milbro Snorkel also resembled Siebe-Gorman's Essgee "Snort" Tube Ref. No. 18,220.

I'll finish there for today. Next time we'll look at the twin-snorkel mask and the two swim fin models in the Milbro range.

 

[David Wilson]

As promised, a little belatedly (web connection issues), details of the remaining Milbro underwater swimming equipment, beginning with the twin-snorkel mask.

Milbro Seamaster Full-Face Mask with Twin Snorkels

Description: "Full-face mask with ball-valve twin snorkels. Specially suitable for observation when surface swimming. Extra-large full-face lens of toughened safety glass for excellent visibility. Wall of mask reinforced to prevent collapse on to face under pressure. Soft comfortable fitting wide two-band head strap."

This snorkel-mask cost £2 7s 9d back in 1959, a not inconsiderable sum of money at the time. The ball valves resemble those on the US-manufactured Globe Riviera Twin-Snorkel Mask:

but the use of cord to support the Milbro snorkel tubes seems unique to that model. Full-face snorkel-masks split opinion even in 1950s, when they were first introduced. Some spearfishing authors of the day swore by their superiority to ordinary diving masks because they permitted both nose and mouth breathing and were designed for surface or shallow-water, where underwater hunters tended to spend their time. Others preferring deeper diving when they snorkelled pronounced such devices as potentially dangerous.

 

[David Wilson]

On to Milbro fins. There were two models. Swiftfin Swim-Fins and Marine Swim-Fins.