Special Devices

One of only two copies cataloged in a library, this U.S. Navy “scrapbook” of the Office of Research and Inventions from World War II is a collection of internal memos, an in-house newsletter, a New Yorker article, and an audio recording of a 1944 “March of Time” story on the work of this unit and it’s commander, Captain Luis de Florez (USNR). Among the many contributions made to aviation, the Special Devices teams developed aircraft training, navigational, and gunnery simulators. This work was shared with the U.S. Army and Allied nations during the conflict. The newsletter features stories and photographs of the many men and women who worked in this part of the service.