Bausch & Lomb advertisement from LIFE depicting the war flags awarded by the government to the company and its employees in recognition of their contribution to the war effort. The Army-Navy "E" Award was an honor presented to companies during World War II whose production facilities achieved "Excellence in Production" ("E") of war equipment. The award was also known as the Army-Navy Production Award. The award was created to encourage industrial mobilization and production of wartime materials. Some factors which were considered in selecting recipients were:
Quality and quantity of production
Overcoming of production obstacles
Avoidance of work stoppages
Maintaining of fair labor standards
Training of additional labor forces
Good record keeping in relation to health and safety
District procurement officers, chiefs of the supply services, agencies concerned with production and the Commanding Officers for the Matériel Commands would recommend plants, complete with the reasons for such recommendations. An Award Board would review the recommended plants and decide on granting of the awards.
This advertisement depicts three E Flags awarded to the Company.
It also depicts a Treasury Flag, which was awarded to companies enrolling 90% or more of their employees in a Payroll Deduction program for buying War Bonds, and a Service Flag, carrying a star for each 700 employees serving in the armed services.
