The yellow object that was the origin of this thread is an emergency radio set.
Nicknamed the "Gibson Girl" due to its voluptuous curves, it was designed to be held between the legs and hand cranked to provide power when needed. See the link page for a labeled breakdown of the contents.
http://home.hccnet.nl/l.meulstee/gibsongirl/gibsongirl.html Ya, I'm a aircraft and radio geek....