Ear Trumpets - Medresco

Medresco (MEDical RESearch COuncil) and the Department of Health & Social Security (later NHS) provided free ear trumpets from 1948 to 1976.

Medresco hearing aid type numbers all began with the letters "OL" followed by some numbers.

This list is to help assign pictures to model numbers. We know that the OL series was started just after the NHS was created. The oldest NHS/OL trumpet recorded here is January 1949 and the latest is April 1976.

Starred items are part of my Wish List
* OL301 Recorded in paper by Stevens/Goodwin 1984 image provided by
Thackray Medical Museum, Leeds
where there are 2 samples
* Mears
OL301A
8^50		   image provided by
Thackray Medical Museum, Leeds
where there is a sample
* FWA
OL302
6^51
image courtesy Worthpoint		 metal headband marked O.L.302 JUNE 1951 FWA-4
* OL311 These are faux tortoiseshell but the A suffix seems to denote grey plastic - see next item image provided by
Thackray Medical Museum, Leeds
where there are 2 samples
* SMC
OL311A 3^52

images taken at
Thackray Medical Museum, Leeds
where there are 2 samples
* Mears
OL 312
7^53		    
229 Mears
OL320
4^49		 marked Mears OL320 4^49  
363 R J Dowling
OL 330
3^52		  

Closed it measures about 19 cms open it is about 28 cms
Mine is dated 3^52

 

oldest RJD seen 4^49
97

OL 331
12^49

 
82 OL 332  
* R J Dowling
OL 333
8^49		  
258 Eschmann
OL340
^76		   Unmarked but definitely an Eschmann - I have the mfg dwg !!
304 Mears
OL340
9^55

More cheaply made than the Eschmanns

 

seen 9^53 on EBay

278		 Eschmann
OL340
3^59
 image courtesy of
Thackray Medical Museum, Leeds
391 R J Dowling
OL350
9^49		 2nd image provided by
Thackray Medical Museum, Leeds
where there is a sample dated
7^49
62 R J Dowling
OL 351
6^50		  
167 Belclere
OL 360
1^49		  
414 Dowling
OL360
8^49		  

 
92 Mears
OL 370
11^53		 Eschmann also made this in black and red acetate as late as 1976, sometimes labelled EBW
(Eschmann Bros & Walsh)

see next item
289 Eschmann
OL370
3^76
 
* OL380 On Ebay no maker marking
273 FWA
OL380A
9^50		 Finally found an OL380A on Ebay and bought it Feb 2015
323 Mears
OL380 A
3^52		 Saw one of these at
Hearing Aid Museum

finally found one !
* Eschmann
OL380A
no arrow		 Possibly a 1958 version

see
Hearimg Aid Museum
70 Eschmann
OL 38001
9^71		  
  Eschmann
OL 38001
4^76		 latest
Medresco found
Ebay item 130811849316

Also see details at
Hearing Aid Museum
  NHS
battery booklet		 this booklet arrived with a trumpet  

* Observed in other collections and on my Wish List
9^71 represents Sep 1971 with the Government broad arrow - see 3rd column above
More data on OL numbers for vacuum tube hearing aids may be found at the Hearing Aid Museum
Another OL56 is at Richards Radio
Known OL numbers for electronic aids
Ref Type Note
Mark II    
Mark III    
OL10 Vacuum Tube  
OL15A Vacuum Tube  
OL20A    
OL27X Vacuum Tube  
OL35   Remploy
OL35A Vacuum Tube  
OL56 Transistor  
OL57   for children with pick up coil
OL58   high power, bone conduction
OL58C    
OL63   high power
OL64   OL56 with screened mike
OL66    
OL67   for children
OL240    
OL345   1.5V battery
OL375 Vacuum Tube  
OL575    
OL675