The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company in the War-- Part 1: Bomb Fuses and Drones

In my last post, the Rudolph Wurlitzer factory in DeKalb, Illinois, was looking for help to make aircraft during the war.  Here is some more information about the company in the war.

During World War II, the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company halted production of musical instruments.  The company's defense  production efforts  were recognized in 1943 and 1944  when its North Tonawanda and DeKalb plants received the Army-Navy "E"  Award.

In 1946, peacetime production resumed and the Wurlitzer Company  introduced two new instruments:  the electric organ (1947) and electric piano (1954).

The North Tonawanda, New York, plant stopped producing organs in 1942 and started making bomb proximity fuses.

The DeKalb factory had been retooled and was where the Interstate TDR was made.  This was an early drone plane used during WW II.  I will do do some more research on the TDR Interstate.  I always thought drones were a fairly new thing, but evidently not according to this.

--GreGen