Russ, Nigel,
I have a copy of the original "Military Handbook No. 5" dated 01 June 1959 ... interestingly, it does not refer to ANC-5.
I also have a copy of ANC-18 "Design of Wood Aircraft Structures" dated June 1951 (with an introduction by the Wright brothers ... just...
Dents may be a problem by themselves but repairing them can introduce more problems. The issue with metallic structure - especially aluminum - is the effect of cold working the dent to 'straighten' it. Cold working can increase the temper and dramatically reduce the toughness. Even very old...