Oswald as Locksmith?

[Guest]

7 hours ago, Steve Thomas said:

Lance,

 

Thank you, and your wife and sister-in-law.

 

That translation makes a whole lot more sense.

Making the parts and tools for the machines sounds about right too, because he talks about reading blueprints in his Collective. I wondered about that at the time.

"Work here is given out in the form of blueprints and drawings by the foreman Zemof and Jr. foreman Lavcook..."

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/thecollective.htm

 

Thanks again.

 

Steve Thomas

 

 

I got some further clarification on Skype this morning:  the word translated as "locksmith" does not mean "locksmith" per se.  It is closer to "worker who repairs mechanical things" (as distinguished from a "worker who makes new mechanical things").  What is being translated as "experimental shop" would be the part of the factory where they make sure that new equipment and devices are operating properly before they are put out on the floor of the factory.  So it's more like "checking" than "experimenting."  Apparently this shop also made repairs.  My wife's sister said that the "secret" part of the factory (where she worked as a technical illustrator) had more to do with the space program than the military at that time; it was very compartmentalized, and she had no idea what the things she was drawing were called or used for.  She said the overriding memory of Oswald for those who worked with him (which she didn't) was how openly, blatantly lazy he was - to the degree of just propping himself up in a corner and going to sleep.  It was very offensive to co-workers who actually had to earn their rubles.  There was some saying to the effect that not only was he not a typical American, he wasn't even a typical human.

[Steve Thomas]

1 hour ago, Lance Payette said:

I got some further clarification on Skype this morning:  the word translated as "locksmith" does not mean "locksmith" per se.  It is closer to "worker who repairs mechanical things" (as distinguished from a "worker who makes new mechanical things").  What is being translated as "experimental shop" would be the part of the factory where they make sure that new equipment and devices are operating properly before they are put out on the floor of the factory.  So it's more like "checking" than "experimenting."  Apparently this shop also made repairs.  My wife's sister said that the "secret" part of the factory (where she worked as a technical illustrator) had more to do with the space program than the military at that time; it was very compartmentalized, and she had no idea what the things she was drawing were called or used for.  She said the overriding memory of Oswald for those who worked with him (which she didn't) was how openly, blatantly lazy he was - to the degree of just propping himself up in a corner and going to sleep.  It was very offensive to co-workers who actually had to earn their rubles.  There was some saying to the effect that not only was he not a typical American, he wasn't even a typical human.

Lance,

"What is being translated as "experimental shop" would be the part of the factory where they make sure that new equipment and devices are operating properly before they are put out on the floor of the factory.  So it's more like "checking" than "experimenting." "

 

Which would have fit right into his job title of "Regulator".

 

The lazy Oswald... hmmm. That kind of fits with the impressions his supervisors at Reilly Coffee and Jaggars-Chiles-Stovall seemed to have had of him.

It sounds like the Soviets seemed to have planted him somewhere where they could keep an eye on him, but wasn't expected to really do anything.

 

The insights your sister-in-law is able to provide are really helpful.

 

Steve Thomas