I had one of those many years ago, supplied by the GPO as, ISTR, a "Saws Floorboard". I loaned it to someone (together with a few "Chisels Wood", who shortly after, emigrated to South Africa, and I've never seen them (or Bob White!) since :-( The green bit had a hollowed face, into which you were supposed to kneel to put pressure on the blade. There was some sort of depth stop adjustment, not easily seen in the pic. As you say, there were few alternatives apart from that sort of saw like a tenon saw with a convex cutting face, or mutilating the boards with a chisel.
I have watched someone cut through floor boards using a plain tenon saw. He made it look really simple. he started on one side and then swopped sides to finish it. No notch in the boards either side.
After a few times of watching him do this, I was given the job from then on.
I progressed from that to using a rawlplug tool with a lump hammer. Boy my thumbs were bloody a few times and the number of times I slipped with the hammer and took the skin of the back of my hands.
At 52 I'm obviously too young to remember them but a great looking and useful tool. Thanks for the post, when the shit hits the fan and we have to revert to hand tools ideas like that could be very useful.
The one imaged looks like a "chinese import" of that period, my father/grandfather had (I probably have now...) similar cheap looking and colour schemed tools. Pretty sure S&J or Stanley would have their brand on them and Stanley have used yellow/orange as their corporate colour for donkeys years.
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