USAAF WWII Model 42D8331 Emergency Axe – Military Aviation 1942-1945

Authentic USAAF (United States Army Air Forces) aircraft emergency axe, model 42D8331, used during World War II (1942-1945).
This tool was part of the standard emergency equipment carried on board American military aircraft—notably the C-47 Dakota, B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, and Waco and Horsa gliders.
It was used to free crews after crashes, fires, or forced landings.
Manufactured in the United Kingdom for the US Army, this axe combined utility and defensive use: several contemporary accounts report that it was sometimes used as a makeshift weapon in hand-to-hand combat by downed airmen, particularly during escape attempts or defense in enemy territory.
Characteristics:
Model: USAAF 42D8331
Period: 1942-1945
Use: emergency rescue tool – military aviation
Total length: 39 cm
Weight: approximately 1 kg
Head: forged steel with extraction hook and triangular recess
Handle: black insulated, tested at 20,000 volts (USAAF standards)
Markings: TESTED 20000 VOLTS / numbers molded into the handle
Manufacturer: British for the USAAF
Condition:
Very good condition for an authentic piece from the 1940s.
Authentic and rare piece, emblematic of Allied aviation equipment from World War II.