Loudspeaker Mystery

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

This item showed up on eBay this past week from Holland. Appears to be a British Tannoy with a couple of noticeable differences from the Canadian Unit we have been discussing. I was tempted to bid but the shipping price could easily have exceeded the final cost of the unit. Also the differences made me hesitate.

The Canadian set has only four lines output, which makes sense to me as an artillery item. This British one, however, has six output lines, which is a puzzle. What would the two extra lines be used for, and would this have made the British set more versatile/flexible?

David

It's almost certainly a different set. The Telephone, Loud Speaking, No.2 YA.2803 is for a battery of four guns, and it's entirely possible there were other requirements for more (or less) out-stations.

Some other types were:

Telephone, Loudspeaking, No.5 (YA.5296) for "outdoor public address to small assemblies". This had a single speaker and the whole lot mounted on a folding metal frame

Telephone, Loudspeaker No.3 (Obsolete in 1944 EMER) for use with W.S.9 in AFVs as an intercom between commander and crew.

Telephone, loudspeaker No.4 (YA.4930) for use with H.A.A. or Z-battery sites using an omnibus circuit. (e.g. Command Post, G.L. Receiver Cabin, G.P.O, and a Z-battery C.P. (the last is for listen only).

Then you get on to Apparatus Loudspeaking, which is for general P.A. work

No.4 (man-portable) for ARP work
No.5 (truck mounted) "a powerful mobile P.A. for propaganda purposes, etc."

Chris.