1944 C-15A-Wire-5 Restoration

[Robert Bergeron]

For those that followed Richard's and my follow up on the tread :

I recently traveled to Edmonton for work....

I had told Warren , my friend from Sudbury about it. He gave my name to Chris who came to pick me up on Base for a tour of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment's Museum . Great visit.

I had exchanged with David who is known in these circles as Super Dave and for restoring a Mk 1 Carrier and other adventures .

In turn David introduced me to Reg Hodgson who is famous for his restorations and his magazine Army Motors...

Reg picked me up on base twice to have me visit his collection and David.

Great guys, you should see their restorations..

Anyway , to make a long story short , Reg sold me an ORIGINAL step ladder for the Wire 5 box i am restoring and many other usefull original parts for my box. Pictures will follow as soon as i can go south and have some free time from my latest posting.

I was traveling on duty so was allowed three (3) , yes 3 pieces of luggage not weighing more than 70 Kg each..Guess what ?

I brought the original 1944 Wire 5 steel step ladder in my luggage on my return flight.

The security folks passed it through the X Ray machine and wondered what the heck was the idea ?

They opened the package and left me a note : Sir we had to inspect the package and sorry for the inconvenience. No chance they could of broken it' It is almost indestructible.

So , nice trip to Edmonton. Thanks Warren, Chris, David and Reg.

Boys, there are some very nice people in and around Edmonton !

[Robert Bergeron]

Friends,

Here a pictures of a few new developments with the Wireless truck i was talking about.

First the original step ladder from Edmonton by Air Mail sandblasted , primed and painted.

Second, new black out curtains.



Enjoy.

Next, repairing the rifle clips in the box and working on the lighting.

Robert.

[super dave]

Looks good

[Robert Bergeron]

Thanks for your good words and help Dave.

Folks, here is a view of the charger switch.

On the plate from left to right 3 switches : 110 volts, charger 2 -300 W , charger 1- 300 W


Where would the 110 volt current come from ?


Robert

[Robert Bergeron]

Folks,

A closer look at the said panel.

Comments, ideas, facts ?

If there are two 12 V 300 watt Chorehorses in the charging cabinet, where does the 110 V AC current come from ?

[Robert Bergeron]

Please read the questions relating to chargers in the previous post

In this picture :

Black out curtains left side, and some of the canvas and radio items on their shelves .

[chris vickery]

Robert
I would believe that the 110VAC would be supplied by shore power (local electrical utility) or via generator. There were many sizes of generators fielded for use in the ETO by RCEME and RCE.

[Robert Bergeron]

Thanks Chris.

So there would of been an outside wire to supply 110 VAC to the illustrated switching panel going through the charging compartment and hence to the front wall outlet at the front of the box near the radio table ?

[David Dunlop]

Simple answer.

If the military chose not to install the Onan Generator at the bottom of the Generator Compartment and went with the two chorehorse configuration instead, then that particular Wireless Truck would not have a 110 volt supply. Wilson supplied the bodies to the military equipped for either option. If no Onan was installed, the military did not rip out the 110 wiring. It just sat there gathering dust. As per the wiring diagram, 110 was an option.

Also, there were three metal guards installed over the three switches on the side of the Generator Compartment. This was intended to force the operators to deliberately line their finger up with the specific switch/generator they wanted to activate and avoid accidentally sweeping more that one switch on or off.

David

[Robert Bergeron]

David my friend.

You know you have to post a picture now don't you ?

Cheers.

Robert

[super dave]

The switch guards

[Robert Bergeron]

Gosh Super Dave, you beat David to it !

Thanks.

Robert

[super dave]

So now where does the charging panel go ???

Here maybe

[Robert Bergeron]

Dave,

The consensus after consulting many sources is yes.

I have no photographic evidence to prove it .

Why don't you show us the C-5 charging panel in this position with the studs ?

Robert

[super dave]

Will do on the next visit.

[Robert Bergeron]

New news.

Today i installed the 110 V AC power outler on the right hand side of the front wall of the box.

Wired all the way back to the inside of the generator compartment.

Another step towards completion.

Robert

[Robert Bergeron]

Here are the rifle clips installed, the rifles and the C-5 Charging board under the rear window.

[RichCam]

Robert,

Great work! I can't wait to see this in person sometime in the spring! Keep up the fantastic effort and the painstaking detail work. It takes time and patience to make it right.

For everyone else, feel free to scroll to the beginning of this thread to see what the 2K1 Box originally looked like. Back then, it was being used as a dog house.

Resurrecting pieces of junk - we are a strange breed.

Richard Hatkoski

[Robert Bergeron]

Richard, it could not of happened without your vision and wisdom in seeing the potential in an abandoned leaky rusted out dog house and the hard and dedicated work of you and your team.

You are welcome anytime .


Cheers.

Robert

[Robert Bergeron]

Fitting of the C-5 Canadian charging panel under the righ rear window .

There is still room for the bus bar , cables and outlet.

When the small adjustment piece of wood is removed under the panel there will be ample room to pass the bus bar and electrical conduits.

Next week, ceiling lights.

[Robert Bergeron]

Friends,

This is my basis for placing the c-5 charging panel under the right rear window of the box.

The shot is of my box before restoration. The picture was taken by my friend Richard when he found it in a scrap yard , being used as a dog house.

I see the shadow of a C-5 charging panel under the window.

It is the best evidence i have found to date.

Cheers.

Bob

[super dave]

If I stare at it long enough I think is see Elvis in there

[Robert Bergeron]

I'd rather it be Marylin.

[David Dunlop]

For what it is worth, Robert, your Wire-5 Body was designed with two racks (one at each rear corner behind the wheel wells) for storage of the British 5-gallon Jerry Can. The racks were oriented for access from the sides, each holding just one Jerry Can. The can was slid into the rack on it's back side with the spout at the top and a diagonal strap of bar iron was swung down across the top of the Jerry Can to secure it in place. On the inside face of the left Jerry Can rack (facing the wheel), was a smaller bracket intended to hold a 1-gallon GWS flimsy containing oil.

David

[Robert Bergeron]

Thanks David. I will be working on that this summer.

It will make a nice addition.

How about the tool boxes , Steel or wooden ?

[Barry Churcher]

Bonjour Robert
Here is a photo I have that may help or hinder you. I don't know the source of the photo unfortunately. It may be one of mine or one from the net.
Barry

[David Dunlop]

Robert.

The two storage bins forward of the rear wheels are steel, Chevrolet pattern.

Externally, the Ford and Chevrolet steel bins look identical: piano hinged cover that is held in place with a large, flat steel bar mounted midway horizontally. The inside face of the bar is covered with a thick canvas strip, held in place with a series of copper split rivets running along the midpoint of the steel bar. The canvas strip serves two purposes: snugging the bin lid securely closed and preventing any rattles.

Although the Ford and Chevrolet bins look identical externally, the front face of the inside middle shelf differs between the two. The Ford has a straight face running the full length along the shelf. The Chevrolet has a shallow curved cutout approximately 8 inches long at the mid point of the shelf. The two bins are interchangeable from either side of the Wireless Box, but a rectangular adapter plate must be moved from the top end of one side of the box, to the other side, if the storage box is mounted on different sides of the Wireless Box.


David

[Robert Bergeron]

Thanks David, thanks Barry.

Barry , how are you doing ? New knee or something ?

[Robert Bergeron]

Friends,

I was away for work for a while.

I worked lately on some of the finer details of the restoration.

Here you have the canvas tunnel allowing the radio operator to talk to the driver up front from inside the box when traveling.

[Robert Bergeron]

Map table fabricated and installed on the rear left side of the box.