THE CORE MEMORY: NCR Computers of the 20th Century

WW I & WW II

During World War I NCR manufactured shell fuzes and aircraft instrumentation, and during World War II built aero-engines, bomb sights and code-breaking machines, including the American ‘Bombe’ designed by Joseph Desch.

NCR contributions to the War Effort produced in Dayton factories:

collars for the VT or Proximity Fuze,
computing gun sights,
carburetors for B-24 Liberator and B-29 Superfortress planes,
D-8 bomb sights,
carbine gun parts,
mechanical time fuzes,
bomb nose fuzes,
a rocket motor,
magazine for Oerlikon anti-aircraft gun,
37 mm. shells.

When the work week was extended to 48 hours, workers were Army-Navy Production Award "E" Lapel Pin faced with closed shops and banks. This led to absenteeism and labor turnover. Companies began offering personal services to their employees to help keep them on the job. NCR employees, for instance, could pay their light, gas and telephone bills at the local Credit Union office. Gas and tire ration requirements were handled by the company. Auto and drivers’ licenses could be obtained, as could the transfer of automobile titles. A company library was begun. The employees could also ask for help in filling out income tax forms and have their legal papers notarized.

As a way to acknowledge the importance of the industrial workers to the war effort, the Army-Navy Production Award "E" Pennant was created. Awarded to a plant rather than a company, it consisted of a flag to be flown over the plant and a lapel pin for every employee within the plant. The “E” award was first begun by the Navy in 1906 to honor excellence in gunnery. When World War II began, however, the Army and Navy began giving the award to companies that were deemed to have gone beyond the call of duty.

Only four percent of the nation's industries were so honored. On January 2, 1942 NCR was awarded the Navy “E” pennant award, one of the first of many factories to get the coveted honor. NCR were awarded the "E" five times -- the all-time record.

This is the D-8 bomb sight which has also been called the Estopey sight. It was used in training and in combat in many different aircraft. The example in the photo was made by National Cash Register.