Machinist Level with WW2 history

I recently acquired this 6" precision machine level with an interesting history: This level was acquired from the owner who was a machinist in WW2. At the end of the war with Japan, my friend was in the army, and was actually in Japan. The workers had very little tools to work with and the commander told the guys to go to a building and take what tools they needed to do their work. He took this level, a height gauge (see my other show and tell under 'rulers'), so they could fabricate the items they needed.
The level has its original fitted wooden box.