Original U.S. WWII M1926 D-Day Inflatable Flotation Belt Life Preserver by Hood Rubber - Dated December 1945 Ammunition There is also a chunk

There is also a chunk missing from near the tip of the bayonet

so this might have been intended for an installation where this functionality was disabled

a sweep second hand and a black dial

but the date definitely is

Original U.S. WWII M1926 D-Day Inflatable Flotation Belt Life Preserver by Hood Rubber - Dated December 1945 Ammunition There is also a chunkOriginal Item: Only One Available. The M1926 inflatable flotation belt was used as a life preserver by assault troops during amphibious actions and beach landings. The belt was inflated by squeezing two switches located inside the belt, which activated two CO2 bottles. If the CO2 bottles failed, the belt could still be inflated by blowing into the rubber tubes, which have valves on the ends. This type of belt is particularly known for use during the D