Chris,
I can't speak to the Commonwealth Signals equipment but I know a little from being around several friends who do US Signal Corps. All the reels carried twinned wire. Need two strands to wire up a field phone. The square on the smaller reels was for a carry handle for dispensing, sometimes a harness was clipped to it as well. The larger reels went onto carriers, racks, carts etc. DR-8, DR-8A and DR-8B only vary by contract date and some details in the mounting locations for the terminal block. and in the holes in the side of the flanges.
Matt
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