Homelite Company During World War Two
Port Chester, NY
1921-Current

This page added 12-14-2023.

Homelite's most well-known product is the chainsaw.  However, the company, which began in 1921, did not get into the chainsaw business until after World War Two.  The company was originally formed to provide portable electric generators to persons in rural areas who were without electrical utility service.

The readers of this page who own a Homelite chainsaw or another of its yard care products are most likely unaware of the company's importance to winning World War Two.  I own a Homelite chainsaw but was unaware of the company's significant contribution to the war effort until I researched the products it produced.

Both the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and United States Army Ordnance picked the Homelite Company to provide auxiliary power units (APU) for their most important weapons.  Homelite APUs were installed in USAAF B-17s and B-24 heavy bombers.  The complete line of Army Ordnance M4 Sherman tanks was equipped with Homelite auxiliary power units.  These two aircraft and the medium tans are three of the American military's most iconic World War Two weapons.  Homelite generators were used on a worldwide basis and participated in all of the most important air and ground battles of World War Two.  The Homelite Company was a very busy place during World War Two, keeping these and other weapons supplied with its auxiliary power units.

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is the most well known of the World War Two four-engine bombers due to its extensive use in the bombing of the Third Reich.  Its fame was cemented by such post-World War Two movies as "Twelve O'Clock High" starring Gregory Peck.  The B-17 was the definitive American heavy bomber of World War Two.  B-17s carried a Homelite model HRU-28 auxiliary power unit.

Shown above is the B-17F Memphis Belle on May 17, 2018, 74 years to the day from when she completed 25 combat missions over Europe.  This photo was taken several hours after the dedication of the Memphis Belle at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.  A Homelite HRU-28 provided the power to start the engines on the Memphis Belle on her twenty-five missions over Europe.  Author's photo.

Homelite generators were at the very first American battle of World War Two!  They were in the war from Day One.
Where the B-17s went, so went the Homelite HRU-28, including the twelve B-17s that arrived at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, during the Japanese attack. 

How cool is the above photo?  Or maybe, how scary was this for the B-17 flight crew?  It was taken by Sgt. Lee Embree in the B-17E piloted by Lt. Karl T. Barthelmess over Hawaii on December 7, 1941.  Sgt. Embree photographed two Japanese Aichi D3A “Val” dive bombers on their way to attack American military installations.  Sgt. Embree took this photo from the B-17's port side waist position.  Located not far behind him was a Homelite HRU-28 auxiliary power unit. 

The M4 Sherman tank was used not only by the United States Army and USMC, but American allies as well.  The British, French, and Russians were also equipped with the Sherman via Lend-Lease.  The Sherman tank served around the world and was the Army's ground units' equivalent of the USAAF's B-17.  The 49,234 Sherman tanks that were built were all equipped with a Homelite APU.  Author's photo.

Before the M4 Sherman entered production American industry produced the M3 Lee/Grant series of tanks.  The M3 series of tanks were the first American medium tanks to see combat with the U.S. Army in North Africa.  However, even before the U.S. Army landed in North Africa, the British were already using them to successfully fight German General Erwin Rommel's Desert Forces.  The M3 tanks were equipped with Homelite auxiliary power units.  Author's photo.

 The United States Army also fielded three types of fully tracked tank destroyers during World War Two.  All came equipped with a Homelite APU.  The three types of tank destroyers are shown on display at the Virginia Museum of Military Vehicles at Nokesville, VA.  On the left is an M10 Wolverine.  In the center is an M18 Hellcat.  On the right is an M36.  Author's photo.

The Homelite Company History:  In 1921, entrepreneur Charles H. Ferguson of Port Chester, New York, invented a lightweight, portable, gasoline-powered electrical generator. His newly founded company, the Home Electric Lighting Company (later abbreviated to Homelite), made it possible for thousands of rural farms and households to enjoy the convenience of electricity, where it would be years before land lines would reach many of these remote areas. In addition, many of Mr. Ferguson's generators played a significant role in the war effort, providing portable electricity on demand for the troops during World War Two.

Although the company is now known for the quality lawn equipment and chainsaws it manufactures, it didn’t start that way. The first invention that Ferguson created for his company was a generator. The generator model that Ferguson invented was lightweight and portable compared to other options at the time, and it was gasoline-powered. Although he intended to help provide electricity to farms and households, his generators played a huge role in the World War Two war effort by providing portable electricity for the troops on demand. This was important because electricity was difficult to obtain on the battlefield, but with the company’s generators, this was no longer an issue.

The company expanded just more than a mile away and across the state line to Greenwich, CT, in 1929, and became a division of Textron Inc. in 1955.  The Gastonia, NC plant opened in 1957 and a sister manufacturing facility in Greer, SC opened two years later. They moved from Greenwich CT, to a new headquarters in Charlotte, NC  in 1975. Beginning in the late 1970s, Homelite gradually expanded its power equipment line to include string trimmers, leaf blowers, push mowers, and hedge trimmers.  John Deere acquired the brand in 1994.  However,  in less than 10 years, John Deere sold Homelite to Techtronic Industries in 2001, and this is where the company has remained. Homelite's parent company, Ryobi LTD. Division of Techtronic Industries,  is currently headquartered in Hong Kong.

The Homelite Port Chester, NY plant won the Army-Navy "E" Award four times during World War Two.
The company received its first award on October 8,1942.

The Homelite Company's World War Two Production:  Table 1 shows that the Homelite Company produced at a minimum 99,738 auxiliary power units for use in military aircraft and armored vehicles.  The aircraft and armored vehicles were all part of the spearhead of the American military's in winning World War Two.  Table 3 shows that the company had 70 major contracts worth $34,525,000 during the war.  The United States Army Air Corps was its biggest customer.

Homelite Company showed a dramatic increase in employees as the war progressed.  In November 1940, the company had 100 employees.  Two years later at the "E" Award presentation the company had 850 workers.  With the end of the war in August 1945, 1,000 workers were laid off with the cancellation of military contracts.  Homelite had to have had an excellent management team to be able absorb the tenfold increase in workers to meet the military's insatiable demand for auxiliary power units.

The Homelite auxiliary power unit has been overlooked by historians and military book authors in its contribution to winning World War Two.  An examination of several books on the B-17, B-24, and the Sherman tank will not find any mention of the Homelite HRU-28 nor the HRH-28.  There are all sorts of information on types of weapons, engines, and changes to the weapons as the war progressed.  But there is not any reference to the Homelite auxiliary power units.  This is a vast oversight by the authors of these books, as the auxiliary power units were essential components of these weapons.  For the bombers and cargo aircraft, the APUs provided starting power to save the batteries.  They could also be used as emergency backup power at low attitudes to supply power if an engine generator failed.  For the armored vehicles, they also could be used to start the vehicle, especially when it was cold.  The APU supplied power to the armored vehicle in lieu of the main engine as a way to save fuel.  When the armored vehicles were not moving the APU supplied power to keep the radios and other equipment running.  Homelite auxiliary power units were important to the crews of the American bombers, cargo aircraft, medium tanks, and fully tracked tank destroyers.

HRU-28A for B-24, C-46 and B-17 Walk Around:  The unit shown below is the only one I have found in my ten years of investigating how American companies helped win World War Two.  This unit was on display at the 2023 TBM Reunion/Salute to Veterans at the Peru, IL airport.  The discovery of this APU then prompted me to write this page on the Homelite Company.

Author's photo. 

This Model HRU-28A is serial number 258824.  Author's photo.

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This image from a B-17 pilot training manual shows the location of the auxiliary power plant being located in rear port side of the fuselage near the tail section.

On the B-24, the Homelite HRU-28 was located under the flight deck.  It is item number 24 on this drawing taken from the pilot training manual for the B-24.

 From the pilot training manual for the B-24.

The Curtiss C-46 Commando was the largest twin engine transport used by the US in World War Two and used a Homelite HRU-28 APU.  Author's Photo.

 From pilot training manual for the C-46.

M3 Medium Tanks:

Not all technical manuals from World War Two still exist.  I was able to find the TM 9-1752 for the auxiliary generator for the M3 medium tank. This and the next five pages are from that manual.  Note that the title page specifically names the Homelite HRH-28 as the specified unit. 

Paragraph 2a describes all of the functions the Homelite HRH-28 performed in the M3 medium tank.  These included charging the batteries, pre-heating the engine, and heating the crew compartment.  It was a very important piece of equipment in the M3 tank.

I was not able to find any auxiliary generator manuals for the M4 Sherman series of tanks nor for the M10/M10A, M18, and M36 tank destroyers.  However, the manuals would have been very similar to the one shown here.  The Homelite HRH-28 served the same functions in these armored vehicles as in the M3 medium tank.

The name "Homelite" is visible on this generator in the manual

This is M3 Lee tank Serial Number 1054 with a Grant turret.  It was built by Baldwin in November 1941.  Author's photo from the U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection, Fort Benning, GA.

This M3A3 Lee Serial Number 1099 was manufactured by Baldwin in May 1942.  Author's photo from the U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection at Fort Benning, GA. 

M4 Series Sherman Tanks:  There were 49,234 Sherman tanks built during World War Two in six different main categories depending on the engine type.  Homelite produced the HRH-28 or HRUH-28 auxiliary power plants for the 49,234 Sherman tanks.

While I was not able to find the technical manuals for the auxiliary generator used in the M4 series of medium tanks, I was able to find the parts manual for the M4/M4A1 that specify Homelite generators.  Note that the HRH-28 was used on early models of the M4 and M4A1 and the HRUH-28 on later models.  

This Alco-built M4E9(75) is on display in front of the Am Vets 35 in Crestview, FL.  This is serial number 1765 and was built in April 1943.  It is the oldest surviving Alco M4 and is typical of all models of the early M4 Sherman series tank.  Author's photo.

Pacific Car and Foundry built 926 M4A1(75) VVSS Sherman tanks like this one on display at the Fort Leonard Wood, MO Museum outside tank park.  It is the only one in the United States, and one of six remaining in the world.  Production of the M4A1 started in May 1942 and finished in November 1943.  The main difference between this M4A1 and the M4 above is that the M4A1 has a cast hull.  Author's photo.

M4 Series Tanks Operator's Manuals:  For the M4A2 and M4A4, I was able to find these manuals.  The photos below show the same photos as the ones above for the M4/M4A1.

M4A2 Sherman Tank: 

The name "Homelite" appears to no long be on the control box.  As the war progressed, manufacturers were no longer allowed to put their names on the product. 

M4A4 Sherman Tank: 

In this manual, the heat duct is no longer shown, only the generator.

Tank Destroyers:

M10 Hellcat Tank Destroyer:  I was able to find both the technical and supplier manuals for the M18 Hellcat tank destroyer. 

Author's photo.

While Technical Manual TM 9-755 does not specify the model number, it does show that the APU is a Homelite. 

This image from TM 9-755 shows a Homelite HRH-28 series APU.

M10 Tank Destroyer:  The M10 was built on the same chassis and with the same engine as the M4A2 Sherman tank.  The Homelite APU was universal across this product line.

This M10 is on display at the Patton Museum at Fort Knox.  Author's photo. 

M36 Tank Destroyer:  The M36 was a conversion from M10A1 type tank destroyers which were built on the same chassis and engine as the M4A3 Sherman tanks.  The original 75mm main guns and turrets were replaced with a new turret and 90mm main gun.  The hull with the existing Homelite generator remained the same.

This M36 is on display at the U.S. Cavalry Museum, Fort Riley, KS, and was converted from a Ford-built M10A1.  In the background is an M4A3 Sherman tank.  Author's photo.

U.S. Army Signal Corps Power Units:  Homelite also built other types of portable generators for the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

The Evansville Wartime Museum in Evansville, IN has what appears to be the non-military model HTR version of the PE-75 on display.  It has been painted.  Author's photo.

The brass tags are non-military.  These are too shiny for military use.  The data plate does not show a contract number, specification, nor note that it is property of the U.S. Signal Corps.  Otherwise, military PE-75s would be just like this civilian version.  Author's photo.

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The Bottom Line:  The Homelite Company and its HRH-28 and HRU-28 series of auxiliary power units have not been given the credit they deserve in helping to win World War Two.  By being used in all B-17s, B-24s, and C-46s the Homelite APUs served on many of the most famous and important aerial missions around the world.  The same can be said for the Homelite APUs that were important equipment in the M3 and M4 series of medium tanks and the M10/M10A1, M18, and M36 tank destroyers.  These weapons also served around the globe during World War Two.

The Homelite Company was an important piece of each of these types of equipment, as they helped U.S. military push back the forces of tyranny and made the world safe for democracy.