Bill Lockhart's article is instructive:
"In several cases, the initial 4 has been added as an afterthought, frequently slightly out of alignment with the other digits associated with the logo. Occasionally, a mold engraver forgot to change the code. The initial bottle used by the Illinois Brewing Co. of Socorro, New Mexico, for example, was made in 1946 but has a single 6 to the left (note from Joe: should say right) of the Owens-Illinois manufacturer’s mark but with no period after the number. However, I have found few exceptions to the period rule. By 1947, the change to double-digit date codes appears to have been completely adopted by all the plants."
When I look closely at the photos of the bases you have sent, I notice that in the first case, the surface of the base has been "pinched" in such a way that a period to the right of the 3 may have had no room to show up in the stamp. It may in fact be there. The photo is blurry. The second example has alignment problems on the date code and the period may be there to the right of the top half of the 8. The date code and factory code are upside-down relative to the orientation on the Niku bottle.
The Niku bottle has no such defects. The stamp is clear, there are no misalignments and no obstructions that would be in the way of the period, had the stamp contained a period, as it properly should if Owens-Illinois was following protocol.
The fact that these were official wartime supply repellents would seem to preclude a Coast Guardsman carrying these in luggage. I hope Ric will not mind me quoting him, but I have this from research from Ric on Coast Guard supplies:
10/7/2010:
"We have 55 cargo manifests for U.S. Navy PBY resupply flights from Canton Island to the Loran stations on Gardner and Atafu spanning the period from October 1944 to October 1945. Lots of butter, eggs, meat and fresh veggies of various kinds, apples, oranges, Coke, beer, etc. and on one trip 30 lbs of mayo. No ketchup. That doesn't mean the Coasties didn't have ketchup but it does mean that any suggestion that ketchup bottles were delivered to the Coasties is a stretch."
Ric, are there any mention of insect repellents in these cargo manifests?
Joe Cerniglia
TIGHAR #3078CER