Would anybody care to date one of these? I found a couple under the floorboards. I think that they were removed in the early 1980s. Some refurbishment may have been carried out in the mid 1960s, but they look older than that.

ETA: BS 3036 dates from 1958.

this ancient relic is still functioning. 

AMK said:

this ancient relic is still functioning

So am I. :-)

Haha. Im glad you’re still functioning, Chris. You’re a living proof that old things can still be useful.

The distribution board is the subject of concern for the electricians working on the site. They have declined to work on the DB as shown and have asked for a new one. The carrier of the DB has a flash guard made of asbestos, which poses a health risk. How do you evaluate the risk of taking out the fuse and replacing the fuse wire in this case? Is this an acceptable practice considering the asbestos exposure?

In another life, I had some dealings with claims concerning mesothelioma. In essence, objects made of asbestos are dangerous only if damaged or disturbed. So being a stoker in (then) one of Her Majesty's ships and walking past asbestos lagging several times a day was not a risk. By contrast, being in the engine room when the ship was in refit and there was white dust everywhere (as one individual described it) was indefensible.

In another life, I had some dealings with claims concerning mesothelioma. In essence, objects made of asbestos are dangerous only if damaged or disturbed. So being a stoker in (then) one of Her Majesty's ships and walking past asbestos lagging several times a day was not a risk. By contrast, being in the engine room when the ship was in refit and there was white dust everywhere (as one individual described it) was indefensible.

That sounds like a very interesting life you had. Did you also get to travel the world and see exotic places? Or were you too busy with those inhaling asbestos and filing lawsuits? I’m sure you have some fascinating stories to tell. Or some horrifying ones.

Life at sea is not as dull as one might think.

For your bonus question, when did the Second World War end?

Germany waved the white flag on 8 May 1945, Japan threw in the towel on 15 August 1945.

Nicely put!

In fact, the answer is 1952 by virtue of the Treaty of San Francisco.

The relevance of this is that all naval and military personnel were deemed to be on active service (essentially serving in a war zone) anywhere in the world during WWII. If you die at least in part of wounds sustained whilst on active service, your estate is free of inheritance tax. It follows that any member of the Armed Forces who could show that he or she was dangerously exposed to asbestos up to 28/04/1952 whether the ship was at sea or in refit may benefit from the concession. After that, tough luck!

The last Japanese soldier to formally surrender did so in 1974.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53763059