Wireless of the Week - week 15

[Joe C]

Capt Steel's full report is available on RCSigs.ca. The first part is already transcribed, the rest is being worked on. For now, the entire report is also available in pdf format. Enjoy!

http://www.rcsigs.ca/index.php/Wirel...Canadian_Corps

I have also posted an interesting report on the type of conversations being picked up by the IT sets. The above report has the following incident:

Some 5.9’s were dropping near a heavy Trench Mortar Battery and the operator on the IT set, overheard the F.O.O. call up the Bombardier in charge and ask whether damage was being done. The Bombardier replied “No, they are falling about 150 towards to our left, Sir”. Although the Hun had been pounding away for over an hour, it only took him fifteen minutes to switch and put the Mortar out of action, incidentally killing the Bombardier and all but one of the crew. This statement is vouched for, as the battery was not more than 200 yards from the IT Post.

Other conversations are in a report from 1917. http://www.rcsigs.ca/index.php/Repor..._6_August_1917

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Updating with Fullerphone manual.

[Joe C]

Finally acquired my own example. This one is a near mint (the unit and case interior, unfortunately not the outside of the case) Northern Electric Mk IV* serial number C-1739 manufactured in 1943. More photos at: RCSigs.ca - Fullerphone Mk IV (Canadian)

Now for my questions.....

The plug on my headset has a 'fat' connector while others seem to have a slim connector. Any significance to that?

Meulstee says there were 14,000 Canadian Mk IV and Mk IV* units made in 1942/43 but I've never seen a serial number that high. Bruce's example (original post) is a nice early example from 1941, serial C-329 and appears to be a Mk IV. Mine is a Mk IV*, 1943, serial C-1739. When did they switch from Mk IV to Mk IV*? Did they restart the serial numbers with the Mk IV*s?

Meulstee also says that early models had a Canadian Key W.T. 8 Amp No. C2 but that later units were fitted with Canadian Key W.T. 8 Amp No. C3. Based on my example having a C2, it looks like the change over was with the Mk IV*. Does anyone know at (or about) what serial number the change over happened? Are there known examples of Mk IV with a Canadian W.T. 8 Amp No. C3?