B-set antenna bases

[rob love]

The grizzly installation shows the regular one.

I won't doubt you on the M10, Adrian, but that is a bit odd in that there were no M10s in this area, but there were Shermans. There were about half a dozen of these taller posts where I found these, which would somewhat correspond to the number of Shermans in Wpg back in the 60s.

[cletrac (RIP)]

I got a bunch of parts from a Sherman installation kit and the tall one was with them.

[Chris Suslowicz]

The short one is "Aerial Base No.9, Mounting No.1" and general use. The taller one is Mounting No.2 and was for installations where there was a lot of "clutter" on the turret (or other mounting point) that the antenna needed to be clear of. There's also a "Mounting No.3" that is very tall indeed (about 2' 6" IIRC) and has a rubber (US/Canadian) or coil spring (Australian) base.

I got a No.2 in a Pershing tank install kit (not that that is any help to you as they never went into British service - trials only, then the war in Europe ended).

Chris.

[tankbarrell]

I suspect the no 2 was standard on the 76mm Shermans, much more common in post war Canadian use than ever in British use.

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by tankbarrell

I suspect the no 2 was standard on the 76mm Shermans, much more common in post war Canadian use than ever in British use.

I think so too; the Sherman in the IWM (London) had a No.2 mount on the turret roof (with the remains of a sheared-off Base No.9 still attached).

(Not quite as irritating as the Daimler Armoured Car with the "fabricated from conduit and tinplate" base, mounting and protector. Or Monty's tank that had been reversed under the balcony too far at one point, wrecking the A set aerial base.)

:-(>

Chris.