Some of the older hams here tell me about the good old days of buying surplus after the war. Some dealers had stacks of B2 sets that people would buy for a few shillings, throw away the radio and keep the nice suitcase.
Mind you still in the 1960s I bought my first 19 set, still in the crate, for $16.
The type A MK3 was certainly an improvement over the B2. Considering that the B2 weighed 30 lbs and many operators were women who were small in stature. It was reported that a member of the public could tell when the SOE trainees were carrying their radio during walk abouts on Baker Street as they leaned to one side.
The weight was also an issue with the suitcase itself. After a while the handles often separated like mine did.