1944 C-15A-Wire-5 Restoration

[Robert Bergeron]

Great idea Rob , thanks .

[Robert Bergeron]

Hey Jordan,

I've got all the gear in your list and picture assembled.

Not showing the vehicle mounting brackets because they are on the vehicle !

Thanks again Jordan for the great reference !

Happy New Year.

[Robert Bergeron]

Here is my Metalic CPP-2 power converter on the floor under the temporary wireless table .

It converts 120 to 12/24 Volts for the 19 Set.

Bruce Parker has a nice post on this piece of kit on his week 45 chronicle.

Thanks Bruce and Happy New Year !.

[Robert Bergeron]

Friends , this is my last post of the year and i would like to solve a mystery that's been bugging me for too long.

What are these connexions for please ?

Picture on the left is outside the left side of the box.

Picture on the right is inside the box below the telephone operator / cipher clerk position table .

Any definite answer out there with pictures and a reference please ?

12 V power outlet for the Wireless 19 or telephone connection for field phones ?

Let's resolve this before year end please !

[Chris Suslowicz]

They're far too heavy-duty to be telephone. They look very much like the studs/nuts and insulator on the Batten, Terminal, 4-Way, and the fact that they have wing nuts on both sides make it an "optional" feed-through, probably for power to the Penthouse when that's set up.

When using the penthouse, run a pair of suitable cables from the charging switchboard No.4 to the terminals on the inside, then connect penthouse lighting and/or another wireless set, etc. to the terminals on the outside.

(I'd expect the external cover to have a layer of insulation attached to the inside of the lid - it would be rather exciting if it came into contact with the terminals when the battery was connected.)

Best regards (and a happy and prosperous New Year),

Chris.

[Robert Bergeron]

Many thanks Chris and a very happy New Year to you also.

I think you are right on and the connexions are for DC to power the wireless sets installed outside..

I misspoke when i said it would be my last question for the year.

I have been using the spare parts box in the picture over the last year to store ... my spare parts for the No 19 in the wire 5 truck.

Last question of the year, promise : What is a No 33 set anyway and what was it used for ?

[Chris Suslowicz]

Happy New Year, Robert.

Wireless Set No.33 was a "High Power" set intended for medium range communications. The original numbering system (introduced around 1929) was:

No.1 - Brigade/Battalion, Artillery Brigade, short range
No.2 - Division/Brigade, short range
No.3 - Corps/Division, medium range
No.4 - GHQ/Corps, medium/long range
No.5 - Base/GHQ long range
No.6 - Army Chain (worldwide) - three built: Aldershot, Gibraltar & Hong Kong

This removed (most of) the confusion with earlier sets where modifications were denoted by "Marks" or "stars" and set types by letters (A, B, C) or power (input) rating (500 watt set).

In the late 1930s, a preceding digit was added to allow for new versions of the same type (role) of set, and new sets added:

No.7 - Interim AFV set
No.8 - Infantry Battalion Manpack set
No.9 - AFV set
No.14 - local control for AFVs (replacing flags and signal lamps)
No.16 - Jamming set.

Excluding the oddity of WS.13 (an experimental VHF manpack that got no further than trials), and the reallocation of some numbers during WW2, the
WS33 traces its history back to the original vehicle mounted WS.3 of 1934, the later WS.23 (1940), WS.33 (1941) - similar to the WS12 but higher power, WS.43 (Canadian) - a redesign of the WS.12HP, WS.53 - the British redesign of the WS.12HP (renumbered because of the Canadian WS.43).

Yes, it gets complicated!

Louis Meulstee's website has photographs of a lot of the sets, here: http://www.wftw.nl/wsets.html

I can thoroughly recommend his books to everyone interested in the subject as they represent a vast amount of research over many years, and are my own 'quick reference' source for information.

Chris.

[Bruce MacMillan]

Originally Posted by Robert Bergeron

Last question of the year, promised : What the hell is a No 33 set anyway and what was it used for ?

Jon, your memory is quite correct. The C33 was the army version of a transmitter made by RCA. The RCA p/n was TE-176. The RCAF used it and their nomenclature was AT3. The C33 was replaced by the C43. As of July 1943 the C43 had not yet been approved for release to the field so the C33 was still being deployed.

The photo is of a pair of AT3 xmtrs at Alert Bay.

[Alex van de Wetering]

This is actually the Polish 1st Armoued Division in Bergen op Zoom, there is a Cromwell and Crusdader AA in the pic.

Lance, are you sure? There are multiple pictures of vehicles at the Bergen op Zoom square that are clearly marked Canadian(?). Or, are you suggesting that only the AA-tanks are Polish?

bergen%20op%20zoom%20(2).jpg
https://www.saak.nl/battlefield%20to...zoom%20(2).jpg

bergen%20op%20zoom%20(16).jpg
https://www.saak.nl/battlefield%20to...oom%20(16).jpg

Source: https://www.saak.nl/battlefield%20to...recht%20nl.htm

Alex

[lssah2025]

Alex, the 4th Canadian AD and Polish 1st AD were in Bergen Op Zoom, I don't think the Canadians had their Crusader AA's this late, this picture was probably 1st PAD, and or some vehicles from 4th Canadian AD, there are a few pictures of 1st PAD in Bergen, I might be confused, but thought that one was 1st PAD. Unless 4th CAD kept their Crusader AA's, the Canadians did have a few in Normandy, but I don't know if they kept them post Normandy.

[Robert Bergeron]

Update . There are some news concerning this restoration that might be coming soon ..... Stay tuned .

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Robert Bergeron

Update . There are some news concerning this restoration that might be coming soon ..... Stay tuned .

Tease.....

[RichCam]

Robert - did you change your signature? I see a 2 in there.......

[Robert Bergeron]

Tease , yes Bruce . Yes Richard , another Wireless - 5 truck , you guessed right . It arrived on a flatbed truck last week . Original engine , transmission and transfer case already restored . A new project !