Sherrill Research Corporation in World War Two

Sherrill Research Corporation in World War Two
Peru, IN
1938-1953
Sherrill Corporation
Mexico, IN
1953-1996

This page updated 2-7-2022.

The Sherrill Research Corporation was founded in 1938 by Burl Sherrill (1901-1979) in Peru, IN. Throughout its existence, it remained a family business. Burl brought his father Calvin Sherrill (1876-1945) in as head of Sherrill Research Corporation and production supervisor at the Sherrill plant until his death in 1945.

In 1953 the Sherrill Research Corporation moved several miles north of Peru, IN to Mexico, IN. At the same time, it was renamed the Sherrill Corporation. The company operated in Mexico, IN until 1996 when it was sold to the Custom Accessories, Inc. in Chicago, IL. The Mexico, IN plant continued to make compasses until 1998, when the operation was moved to Chicago. At some later date, Custom Accessories moved the manufacturing to China.

I never intended to do a webpage on the Sherrill Research Corporation. I didn't even know it existed. In late December 2020, I made a trip to the National Museum of the United States Air Force and found this half-track on temporary display. In the many years I have visited the museum, this is the first time there was a World War Two vehicle on special display. I spent considerable time photographing all of the details. Author's photo.

Upon returning home, I went through my photos and noted that I might be able to obtain some information about the compass manufacturer. Author's photo.

Enlarging the photo, I could see that this was a Model AEG-1 built by Sherrill in Peru, IN. This immediately piqued my interest because I only live seventy miles from Peru. A quick internet search provided some sketchy information on the Sherrill Research Corporation. I wanted to learn more and decided to see if there was enough information to do a web page on the company. Author's photo.

This photo of the serial number was provided by the owner of the half-track African Queen. It is serial number 37982. Photo courtesy of Mark Koloc added 3-15-2021.

The Miami County Historical Society in Peru, IN provided much of the information that allowed me to get a close look at the Sherrill Research Corporation during World War Two. The staff was extremely helpful in finding documents and newspaper clippings that provide much of the historical content of this page. There were several folders with newspaper clippings, photos, and related information on the company. In what is normally the reverse of information found at historical centers and libraries, most of the information on Sherrill was about the company during World War Two. The historical center also has several World War Two Sherrill compasses in its collection. I was able to study these in detail.

The Historical Center also includes three floors of museum displays. It is well worth the visit when in the area. World War Two era photos on this page are courtesy of the Miami County Historical Society.

The Sherrill Research Corporation won the Army-Navy "E" award two times.
The Sherrill Research Corporation won the first Army-Navy "E" Award on January 12, 1945.
It won its second Award on July 11, 1945.

The Sherrill Research Corporation also received this Army-Navy "E" award plaque during World War Two for its excellent production record. Photo courtesy of Lynette Sherrill added 2-22-2021.

The band from the nearby Bunker Hill Naval Air Station that played at the first award ceremony consisted of African-American musicians. One of the great travesties and hypocrisies of the American involvement for the "fight for freedom" in World War Two was a segregated military. Photo courtesy of the Miami County Historical Society.

Background: In today's age of GPS, smart phones, and satellite views of the entire earth, one may forget these were not available 80 years ago during World War Two. The U.S. military was operating in places for which it had no maps. Even during several early 1940's Army maneuvers conducted in the southern U.S., the Army had to rely on road maps found in gas stations. Overseas, it was even worse. Many times, the U.S. military had to resort to tourist's travel guides to try and navigate the battlefields.

The soldiers also needed a compass to tell them which direction they were going. Past wars were not fought with 30-ton steel tanks that interfered with the operation of the compasses and provided erroneous readings. Burl Sherrill was working on compass designs early in World War Two that would provide the U.S. Army a compass that would work in its steel tanks.

Sherrill Research Corporation is also an example of thousands of small companies all across the United States in both small and large cities that provided all of the necessary items to win World War Two. Many of those companies no longer exist and have been forgotten. Even if they do exist, their participation in a war 80 years ago is ancient history and not relevant to current business problems.

The Sherrill Research Corporation is a unique opportunity to look at one of these small companies that produced an important product at the right time during the war. Theirs were truly high-tech products of their time. All of this work was done in a three-story office building across from the county courthouse in a town of 13,000 people at the time. Both structures still exist in Peru, IN.

Significant Dates:

The following dates and information come from the Peru Republican, the Peru Tribune, and a letter to the Miami County Historical Society dated May 18, 1994 by Mr. Colin Sherrill.

1941 - Sherrill Research wins its first commercial contract with Marshall Field department store in Chicago, IL for the "Dollar Compass," which retailed for a one dollar.

Early War Years 1942-1943 - During 1942 through April 1943, Burl Sherrill worked with the Army and Navy on the development of magnetic compasses. The company received no government financial assistance to develop compasses that would work in metal vehicles. This was an important project for the U.S. Army because metallic vehicles, such as tanks and half-tracks deployed in North Africa, were getting lost because their compasses were inaccurate due to the amount of steel in the vehicles. In 1943 Sherrill Research Corporation received its first military contract. This is very unusual because many companies started producing for World War Two in 1940. Sherrill only had two years of military production during the war, but it was important and critical production for the war effort.

1943 - Burl Sherrill invents both the AEG and M6 compass. It was unknown by Mr. Colin Sherrill what AEG stood for.

November 26, 1943 - Sherrill Research Corporation began expanding the building it was in across from the Miami, IN county courthouse. Expansion on the first floor of the three story office building allowed 10,000 square feet to build compasses for the U.S. Army.

December 31, 1943 - Thirty-six doctors, real estate brokers, and insurance salesmen had to move out of their offices on the second and third floors of the Sherrill building. Originally the factory was two rooms on the first floor of the building. Ninety employees were working seven days a week on two shifts to produce 300 plastic-bodied compasses per day for Army trucks and tanks. Each compass cost $45.

The newspaper article of December 31, 1943 noted the importance of the plastic magnetic compass for use in tanks. It explained that in the North Africa campaign American tanks did not have compasses. Without good maps or many landmarks, several units became lost and captured. German tanks were equipped with gyro-compasses, which allowed them to properly navigate the desert. This article was a reprint of an Indianapolis Star column from December 10, 1943. The Star article mentioned that Burl Sherrill was in Washington, DC at that time for discussions with the U.S. Navy about a compass that did not need to be built with critical materials. This meant that a Sherrill plastic compass was ideal for the Navy's applications.

Unknown date - Colin Sherrill's letter stated that there were 150-200 working two shifts.

July 21, 1944 - It was announced that the company would be building a new compass for the U.S. Navy. The size of the contract exceeded the size of the Army contract to date. This was more than double the output of the operation. This could be the point at which more employees were needed, and employment went from the original ninety employees to 150-200. The engineering department was also increased in size and a new chief engineer was hired who previously worked at Bendix.

The U.S. Navy used the M-6 compass during World War Two and designated it Compass No. 6, Mark 2, Model 0. The U.S. Navy BUSHIPS manual for the compass acknowledged on the cover that it was U.S. Army Ordnance M-6.

November 24, 1944. Army trucks and an M8 armored car visited the plant in Peru, IN. All of the vehicles were equipped with Sherrill compasses.

January 19,1945 - Burl Sherrill was in Washington, DC and met with the U.S. Navy to discuss a new compass. No new compass came out of this meeting. Sherrill only built the AEG/AEG-1 and M-6 during World War Two. Any development work stopped with the end of the war in August 1945. Sherrill never built any more compasses for the military. Production after the war went to the automobile industry.

Burl Sherrill, president of Sherrill Research Corporation, is in a Ford-built M8 on November 24,1944. Mr. Sherrill was the holder of 27 patents at that time. Photo courtesy of the Miami County Historical Society.

This full page advertisement ran during June 1944 in the Peru Tribune. It notes that all of the pictured landing craft have Sherrill compasses. The most obvious vehicle is the GMC DUKW. The rest are rather vague, but one appears to be a Landing Craft, Tank. Photo courtesy of the Miami County Historical Society.

This nationally syndicated short history appeared in 1945. I remember seeing these in the newspaper when growing up. They were cool short informationals. Photo courtesy of the Miami County Historical Society.

Sherrill Research Corporation World War Two Products: At least 125,175 AEG, AEG-1, and the M-6 compasses. These were the only products built during World War Two. One historical source indicates that Sherrill had a run rate of 300 units per day in December 1943. This is 9,000 per month or 109,500 per year. From December 1943 until August 1945, when the war ended, Sherrill could have produced 189,000 compasses. The highest serial numbers found on e-commerce sales websites for an AEG-1 is 45385. The only AEG found online had an illegible serial number. The highest serial number for the M-6 is 89,789. Adding these three together indicates Sherrill built at least 125,175 units. Therefore, the theoretical production number of 189,000 units is possible. Probably, once the supply pipeline became filled and the necessary vehicles equipped with the compasses, the military would have cut back on production.

Assuming the serial numbers found are close to the maximum number of AEG-1 and M-6 compasses built, 36% were AEG-1s and 64% were M-6s. With no serial number for the one AEG found, no estimation of it can be made. However, it appears to have had a short production run that was quickly superseded by the AEG-1. The AEG/AEG-1 was the larger, more complicated, and more costly of the two compasses. It would only be used where necessary.

AEG and AEG-1- These were designed to be used on tanks, tank destroyers, and other heavily armored vehicles. These are specifically called out by Mr. Colin Sherrill's letter dated May 18, 1994.

M-6 - This was designed for light armor such as half-tracks, amphibious vehicles, and landing craft. These are specifically called out by Mr. Colin Sherrill's letter dated May 18, 1994.

As of November 1944 Sherrill compasses were standard on sixteen steel vehicles. This was noted when an army convoy of trucks equipped with Sherrill compasses arrived in Peru. An M8 armored car which had a Sherrill compass was also in the convoy.

The Sherrill M-6 is to the left of the manual and the AEG-1 is to the right. The AEG-1 is about twice the size of the M-6. The manual is 8.75 inches tall by 6 inches wide for a relative comparison of size. Both compasses were made out of plastic, which at this time was most likely a thermoset molding compound. The most well-known of these is Bakelite. Author's photo at the Miami County Historical Society.

This Sherrill Research Corporation display is located at the Museum of the Soldier in Portland, IN. It includes both the AEG-1 and M-6 compasses. The AEG-1 is serial number 44797 and the M-6 is serial number 70216. Author's photo added 5-5-2021.

Sherrill Research Corporation Compass Usage in World War Two Based on information contained in the historical record, this is my best estimate of which vehicles used which type of Sherill compass.
Vehicle	AEG/AEG-1	M-6	Comments
Heavy Steel Armored Vehicles
M4 Series Medium Tanks	x
M26 Heavy Tank	x
M24 Light Tank	x
M5 Series Medium Tanks	x
M8 75mm Gun Motor Carriage	x
M10 Tank Destroyer	x
M36 Tank Destroyer	x

Light Steel Armored Vehicles
Half-Tracks		x	The one example of a half-track I have found, as shown above, has an AEG-1 installed.
M8 Armored Car		x
M20 Armored Car		x	A restoration of an M20 to replicate General Patton's M20 Command Car in Europe has an AEG-1 installed.
M7 105mm Gun Motor Carriage		x
M4 High Speed Tractor		x
M5 High Speed Tractor		x
M6 High Speed Tractor		x
M12 155mm Gun Motor Carriage

Non-Armored Vehicles
DUKW		x
Various Tactical Trucks		x

Landing Craft
LCVP		x
LCM		x
LCT		x

AEG-1 Photos:

Author's photo at the Miami County Historical Society.

Here is another photo of the AEG-1 at the Museum of the Soldier. This photo was taken during an earlier visit. Author's photo added 2-7-2022.

This shows the serial number 44797. Author's photo added 2-7-2022.

M-6 Photos:

Author's photo at the Miami County Historical Society.

This photo of the M-6 at the Museum of the Soldier in Portland, IN was also taken at a earlier date. Author's photo added 2-7-2022.

This Sherrill M-6 is serial number 70216. Author's photo added 2-7-2022.

The Plants:

The photo shows the Peru, IN county courthouse with the former Sherrill Building behind it. The Sherrill Building is east of the courthouse. The photo was taken from in front of the Miami County Historical Society. Author's photo.

All of the AEG/AEG-1 and M-6 compasses were built in this three story office building during World War Two. Occupants of thirty-six offices on the second and third floors had been relocated to other locations. Then all of the walls were removed to provide open manufacturing and assembly areas. There is no evidence that the Peru Republican moved out of its offices on the south end of the first floor. The Sherrill Building is now the Miami County Annex. Author's photo.

The photo below shows there was another building to the north of the Sherrill building during World War Two. An alley separated the two structures. The current red brick building is of recent construction. Author's photo.

In November 1943 Sherrill Research Laboratories added 10,000 square feet of factory space in what was a parking garage in this building. In December 1943 the second and third floors were cleared out. The Peru Republican was also in this building and was on the right side of the photo. This was the south end of the building. Photo courtesy of the Miami County Historical Society.

In 1953 Sherrill moved out of the Sherrill building across from the courthouse in Peru, IN to this facility along the Eel River in Mexico, IN. Reasons for the move are unknown. It could be that this offered more or equivalent space at a lower cost. This building served as both headquarters and manufacturing operations for automobile compasses. From the vintage of the vehicles parked around the building, this appears to be the 1950's. Previously, the facility was the location of Mexico Woolen Mills. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources removed the dam in 2018. Photo courtesy of the Miami County Historical Society.

The former Sherrill plant in Mexico, IN still exists. In 1998, this facility closed, and production moved to Chicago, IL. Later, production moved to China where Sherrill name-plated digital compasses were built. The two smaller buildings shown in the aerial photo have been removed. Author's photo.

The markings on the wall, where a building used to be, are evident under the Domani sign. Author's photo.

Armored Vehicles with Sherrill Research Corporation Compasses: Sherrill did not begin to produce compasses until November 1943. By then, the battles for North Africa and Sicily were over. Italy was invaded in September 1943, and that campaign would grind on until the end of the war. It was going to take time for the production of the Sherrill compasses to start reaching supply depots in Europe for distribution to units already in or preparing for combat. Most compasses went to England for installation in equipment being prepared for the invasion of Europe. The upcoming invasion of Europe had top priority for men and equipment.

Most likely, Sherrill gyrocompasses did not enter combat until June 6, 1944 during the invasion at Normandy. Up until then, most of the pieces of equipment operated without them.

AEG/AEG-1:

This Fisher Body Grand Blanc Tank Arsenal-built M4A3 Sherman tank combat veteran is on display in downtown Bastogne, Belgium. It was knocked out of combat during one of the most famous battles of World War Two, the Battle of the Bulge, on December 30, 1944. The tank was attached to B Company, 41st Tank Battalion, 11th Armored Division when it was put out of action near Renuamont, Belgium. It had been named "Barracuda" by its crew. It sits at the intersection of several roads in Bastogne that made the town an important military objective during the battle. This Sherman tank would have been equipped with a Sherrill Research Corporation compass during the Battle of the Bulge. The compass would have been invaluable in correctly navigating the fields and wooded areas around Bastogne. Author's photo.

This Fisher Body Grand Blanc, MI-built T26E3 is serial number 35. It is one of twenty T26E3s that were shipped on an emergency basis to Europe before the tank had been fully tested by the U.S. Army. Much of the testing was done by the tankers that operated them in Europe. These twenty tanks were known as the "Zebra Mission." This tank along with serial numbers 27, 28, and 39 participated in the taking of the Remagen Bridge in Germany on March 7, 1945. This tank would have been equipped with a Sherrill AEG-1 compass. Author's photo.

Buick-built M18 tank destroyers were introduced mid-war, about the same time as the Sherrill compasses. Author's photo.

M10 tank destroyers were equipped with the Sherrill AEG-1 as they moved across Europe towards Germany after D-Day. Author's photo.

The installation of the AEG-1 into the M5A1 light tanks was extremely important. These tanks were used in the scouting and reconnaissance mode in Europe. They operated out ahead of the main forces probing enemy lines and defenses. They needed to know where they were going, and just as importantly, how to get back to friendly forces. Author's photo.

The M8 75mm Howitzer Gun Motor Carriage was built on the same chassis as the M5 light tank. These provided mobile artillery that could move with the infantry and set up quickly for a fire mission. An accurate Sherrill magnetic compass assured they were set up and firing at the correct target. Author's photo.

M24 Chaffee light tanks began replacing the M5 series tanks as the war continued in Europe. They also then served in the scouting role where the Sherrill AEG-1 was an important asset to the mission. Author's photo.

This 1944 Pressed Steel M7B1, serial number 758, was on display at the 2019 MVPA National Convention at York, PA. The following photos show the high degree of restoration on this vehicle. Author's photo.

M-6 -

An M-8 armored car similar to this one visited the Sherrill Research Corporation factory on November 24, 1944. These were also used in the scouting mode where the Sherrill M-6 magnetic compass assisted assure it scouted the proper area and then returned safely to friendly forces. Author's photo.

General Patton used an M20 for his command car when he was in Europe. This is a re-creation of that vehicle. Author's photo.

The Sherrill compass is mounted next to the steering wheel. The assistant driver's job was to monitor the compass and inform the driver of any needed directional changes. According to an article on the restoration of this vehicle, the compass is an AEG-1. Historical records indicate it should be the smaller M-6. However, General Patton was very involved in the design of the several vehicles he used as command cars and may have ordered the larger AEG-1 be installed. Author's photo.

High speed tractors were utilized during World War Two to tow artillery pieces. This M4 high speed tractor has a 155mm Long Tom attached. A Sherrill M-6 magnetic compass would have been used in the M4. Author's photo.

This International Harvester M5 high speed tractor has a 105mm howitzer attached. Because the light armor on the vehicle, a M-6 was the appropriate compass. Author's photo.

DUKW amphibious trucks were equipped with the Sherrill M-6 compass. A properly working compass was very important for the DUKW to assure it navigated to the proper beach during an amphibious invasion. With a long cruise over open water, landing craft many times landed on the wrong beach. A Sherrill magnetic compass was instrumental in assuring this did not happen. Author's photo.

The M-6 came in this type of box with a copy of the manual. Author's photo at the Miami County Historical Society.

Excerpts from the Sherrill Instruction Manual: The first thing I did once I decided to publish a page on the Sherrill Research Corporation was to purchase a manual. This one is for the AEG, AEG-1 and M-6 magnetic compasses. It covered all three of the Sherrill compasses used by the U.S. Army. Sherrill published a second manual for the U.S. Navy for its No. 6 compass. This was the equivalent to the M-6.

I have only included pages that show the different parts of the compasses and any relevant information.