German generator

I have recently acquired this gen set. It is Swiss made but I'm reliably informed that it was used by the German army in WWII. It was originally in five boxes, three of which I have, and I would be very grateful if somebody could tell me more about it.[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Seems unlikely that neutral Switzerland would have supplied equipment to the Wehrmacht.

The clue is probably the twinned Swiss flag and red cross symbols on the boxes - my guess is that it was intended for use in what we would now call 'humanitarian operations'.

What do the various ID plates reveal, the only Swiss engine manufacturer that springs to mind is Motosacoche?

A very nice set and I would imagine a pretty rare survivor in that condition.

NHH

The wording on the box is french and german which are the two languages spoken by the Swiss, its a lighting set in english.
Ferrier Gudel are a Swiss company based in Luzern, their business appears to be auto electrics.

Nice piece of kit - in that excellent condition I would hesitate to attempt any restoration. Maybe an email to the company would shed some light?

Thanks for the thoughts. I also considered it unlikely that the Germans would have used a Swiss generator, but that information came from a collector of militaria who had tried unsuccessfully to buy it prior to my acquiring it.

I have so far ascertained that it runs, and very well too, but haven't yet tried coupling bits up. Will report when I do :-)

Looks a bit 'modern' to me to be WW2.

Ted,
Why not send it into Stationary Engine magazine for identification; it reaches a worldwide readership. I am certain that Patrick Knight would welcome it in Identity and Assistance section.
Just a thought...
Eric

Not a bad thought Eric. Could be worth a try.

cranium wrote:Ted,
Why not send it into Stationary Engine magazine for  identification; it reaches a worldwide readership. I am certain that Patrick Knight would welcome it in Identity and Assistance section.
Just a thought...
Eric

Does anyone ever recieve answers to their queries though Eric? I have responded to several requests over the years, yet have never seen anything in print to confirm that I have assisted them or not. I still respond where I'm able to though, God loves a trier!

Pete.

A good point Pete, but maybe you could send in a duplicate of the help you have been able to give, to the Editor who would, I'm sure, willingly print it.
Eric

cranium wrote:A good point Pete, but maybe you could send in a duplicate of the help you have been able to give, to the Editor who would, I'm sure, willingly print it.
Eric

I always send them via email to the editor anyway Eric, never directly to the op.

Pete.