Benicia Arsenal Rebuild Stamps

[firstflabn]

I have an 03A3 with a boxed BA-WL rebuild stamp, so Benicia tidbits have always interested me. These bits are few and far between so far. John Beard has written that 'WL' is William Lewis. Looking at the 1940 US Census, John may be right.

Search the 1940 Census - 1940 Census

The census shows a William M. Lewis (middle name Maxon in other records), 51, as a Foreman/Armorer at Benicia. Other available records show he was born in Massachusetts (interestingly about 20 miles from Springfield in Worcester) and was drafted in WWI. He died in 1959 in nearby Yolo. Wonder if he retired early at age 62 - in 1951? Or maybe at 65 in 1954?

The 1930 census shows Lewis working at Benicia as a Foreman. Did the job title change over the next decade or did he earn additional responsibilites as his career progressed?

Most discussion is over BAWL-stamped M1903s (some with WWII dated barrels), but my 03A3 stock plus two scant stocks I have seen forum photos of show Lewis' tenure reached well into WWII. Does his Foreman job title in 1930 mean he wasn't yet inspecting or accepting stocks? Don't know, but it may be something to consider.

Besides 'WL', I have seen the following initials on Benicia rebuild stamps (periods are ignored):

JS
JPL
JL
JLC
HAB (from a description, no pic)

If there are others, please let me know and I'll go back through the census to look for candidates. I found a John P. Lewis, Armorer, in 1940 and a Joseph Santos, Gunsmith, in 1930. I didn't count all employees, but from the census responses it appears Benicia was not yet a large operation on April 1, 1940 (when the census was taken).

Did John P. Lewis arrive on the scene after 'JL' was already there (necessitating the use of his middle initial), was it personal preference, or was it perhaps a procedural change anticipating the WWII buildup?

Nothing conclusive here as ten years is a long time and workers could come and go, get sick or injured, get drafted, fired, or die off, but it does give us another small clue or two.

I also learned Benicia had an employee newspaper entitled Benicia Bomber that started in 1951. The one available issue, December, is 32 pgs. It contains no mention of any of the three named characters above. A couple of forum members have recently mentioned visiting Benicia. If they or anyone else plans a trip, it would be interesting to inquire at the library or historical society whether other issues of the magazine or perhaps an earlier equivalent version are available. Always the long shot of finding a descendant in the neighborhood as well.

On the other end of the country, didn't Massachsuetts publish a roster of their WWI troops? If so, or if someone is in the Worcester area, it would be interesting to learn what unit William Lewis served in.

Further, city directories may show Lewis' arrival and/or retirement date. For the young folks, city directories were around before the telephone and as they included an address, were used to find people. They usually also included occupation. So, if Lewis retired in, say, 1949, the 1948 directory could show him as Armorer and the next issue might show him as retired (or working in some other occupation). This might allow us to determine the latest and/or earliest dates for use of the rebuild stamp.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[JGaynor]

i collect data on A4's.

I have several records each with the stamps:

BA 11
BA/JPL
BA/HAB

I may well have photographs of the stamps. I believe at least some of each are boxed an some are unbloxed. I t will take me a little research to look for the pics if you are interested.

Regards,
Jim

[highpower3006]

I have a '03 that is consistent with a rifle that was rebuilt after WW1, but before WW2. The rifle has a early receiver and the barrel is dated 1-19. All the parts on it are from the 1920 era or earlier. It has the BA-WL stamp with a POD-D over stamp. This rifle's condition is consistent with one that has seen service after the rebuild.

From information I have received on this forum, as well as other sources, the rebuild stamps indicate that it went to the Philippines before the second world war started, as the arsenal in Manila was shut down when the Japanese overran the city. So, it would seem to me that Mr. Lewis was stamping his cartouche on rifles sometime prior to the decision to remove the low number rifles from service.

[Rick the Librarian]

Yes, the PODD stamp is from the Philippine Ordnance Depot, located in Fort Santiago, in Manila until the start of World War II. Actually, the PODD stamp could date right up to 1941. I have seen a number of PODD stamps and all of them have a Benecia Arsenal stamp also. Obviously, all rifles shipped to (or from) the Philippines must have gone through Benecia Arsenal.

[firstflabn]

I should have included the link to the one issue of Benicia Bomber (December 1951).

Benicia Bomber December 1951

Page 21 includes two tiny nuggets. One mentions adding two new workers to the "rifle assembly line" and another apparently refers to "Rifle Inspection" as a department. Do these comments refer to ongoing WWII rebuild work? With the effort in Korea involving such a small force compared to WWII - US and ROK ground forces never reached 400k - it doesn't seem like that work alone would have been enough to keep them busy.

From a story in the magazine concerning expanding a dam and reservoir to provide more water for the arsenal and an ad showing a huge new warehouse under construction (perhaps 500-600 ft. long), it looks like Benicia was a beehive of post-WWII activity.

[Roadkingtrax]

My recent purchase (posted recently). This rifle, I believe is original as rebuilt at Benicia. The fit and finish is near perfect for arsenal standards. Mix of all pre-WW2 parts. I have not been able to identify the original inspection mark on the stock, CEH or OEH?

[RCS]

My PODD with a BA rebuild stamp - not too much to add, I have the following:
BA WJ in a box
BA-WK
BA-W.L.
BA-J.L.
BA-JSAttachment 34138

[supercub]

Clearly OEH with crossed cannons above.

Kurt

[Discus420]

I have an 03A3 with a boxed BA-WL rebuild stamp, so Benicia tidbits have always interested me. These bits are few and far between so far. John Beard has written that 'WL' is William Lewis. Looking at the 1940 US Census, John may be right.

Search the 1940 Census - 1940 Census

The census shows a William M. Lewis (middle name Maxon in other records), 51, as a Foreman/Armorer at Benicia. Other available records show he was born in Massachusetts (interestingly about 20 miles from Springfield in Worcester) and was drafted in WWI. He died in 1959 in nearby Yolo. Wonder if he retired early at age 62 - in 1951? Or maybe at 65 in 1954?

The 1930 census shows Lewis working at Benicia as a Foreman. Did the job title change over the next decade or did he earn additional responsibilites as his career progressed?

Most discussion is over BAWL-stamped M1903s (some with WWII dated barrels), but my 03A3 stock plus two scant stocks I have seen forum photos of show Lewis' tenure reached well into WWII. Does his Foreman job title in 1930 mean he wasn't yet inspecting or accepting stocks? Don't know, but it may be something to consider.

Besides 'WL', I have seen the following initials on Benicia rebuild stamps (periods are ignored):

JS
JPL
JL
JLC
HAB (from a description, no pic)

If there are others, please let me know and I'll go back through the census to look for candidates. I found a John P. Lewis, Armorer, in 1940 and a Joseph Santos, Gunsmith, in 1930. I didn't count all employees, but from the census responses it appears Benicia was not yet a large operation on April 1, 1940 (when the census was taken).

Did John P. Lewis arrive on the scene after 'JL' was already there (necessitating the use of his middle initial), was it personal preference, or was it perhaps a procedural change anticipating the WWII buildup?

Nothing conclusive here as ten years is a long time and workers could come and go, get sick or injured, get drafted, fired, or die off, but it does give us another small clue or two.

I also learned Benicia had an employee newspaper entitled Benicia Bomber that started in 1951. The one available issue, December, is 32 pgs. It contains no mention of any of the three named characters above. A couple of forum members have recently mentioned visiting Benicia. If they or anyone else plans a trip, it would be interesting to inquire at the library or historical society whether other issues of the magazine or perhaps an earlier equivalent version are available. Always the long shot of finding a descendant in the neighborhood as well.

.

Old thread but here is one I cant find anywhere else Attachment 71181Attachment 71182Attachment 71183

[JGaynor]

Attachment 71184

BA/HAB the stamp is just to the left of the rear stock bolt