Computers ... ARMY COMPUTERS! early & beastly with Friden What is it?

[Brent Hilpert]

On 2015-Jun-24, at 1:13 AM, COURYHOUSE at aol.com wrote:
> 
> Computers  ARMY COMPUTERS!  early  &  beastly with Friden What is it? I had 
> a chance to buy these  photos  so I did! Be  fun to find the people and 
> talk to  them!    What  ever this thing is  I guess I need to  devote a page on 
> it!         Ed# _www.smecc.org_ (http://www.smecc.org/) 
> 
> http://www.smecc.org/teleprinters/milita1dgdddf_small.jpg
> 
> http://www.smecc.org/teleprinters/milita2_small.jpg


Looks like they could be photos of MOBIDIC, the Army 'Mobile Digital Computer' project from the 50s.

Zoom in on the 2nd photo of the model here:
	http://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/mobile-computing/18/315/1673

Note the mag tape units, the orientation and outline would match your second photo (the double vertical rectangles on the front in the model match those behind the left fellow's head and the right fellow's hand.

Flexowriter also present in the model.

Another version of the model down the page here:
	http://www.usarmygermany.com/Sont.htm?http&&&www.usarmygermany.com/Units/ComZ/USAREUR_ComZone.htm

Your photos may be quite rare, the MOBIDIC project is often mentioned in computing history but photos of the actual MOBIDIC seem to be hard to come by.