Scr300

[Mike K]

Pics of the 31 AFV in Land Rover

[Philliphastings]

Hi Mike,

I came across a pile of WS No.31 AFV mounting trays (with PSU bracket beside it) in Perth WA about 2001 (Were not for sale)

I have never been able to confirm if these sets were used by the local CMF Armoured Unit, 10th Light Horse Regiment there.

I’m reliably informed by a former RSM that the unit ran Ferrets, Saracens, Humbers etc until about 1971 and apparently they still had WS No.19/SR B47 combinations until their vehicles were handed in for M113A1s.

If true then they must have been about the last Australian Army to use Larkspur and almost certainly the last to use the 19 Set ?

I never found anything related to WS No.88 while I lived there

Cheers

Phill

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Phill,

WS 88AFV equipped the early deliveries of Centurion to Australia, along with WS No.19 Mk2/1 and Mk.3. I suspect the No.31AFV came with Churchill, but would need to go digging to confirm that.

Larkspur series was used by the RAAC in Centurion until that tank's retirement in 1977, along with an AN/PRC-25 or AN/PRC-77, the US set being carried in a rack attached to the turret roof exterior.

Mike

[Philliphastings]

Hi Mike C

Thanks for the cent info. I had forgotten even though I used to own a Centurion ��*♂️

Can you speculate on Churchill numbers brought to Australia please ?

I know we had some. There are still a few preserved.

I recall reading (somewhere) that we received Churchill Black Prince But never saw anything to confirm. I think that same source completely ignored Australia in a list Daimler Ferret user countries.

Cheers

Phill

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Phill,

The Churchill period is an interesting one. With the war projected to continue into late 1946, Australia ordered a large number of Churchills in various forms (gun tanks, howitzer tanks, ARVE, etc) but with the abrupt end to the war in August 1945, the order was reduced to around 50, and that's what arrived. Used (in diminishing numbers after the arrival of Centurion in late 1951) until the mid-50s. From all accounts, they were a difficult tank to cut up for scrap, which is possibly why several hulls have survived. No Black Prince among the acquisitions as far as I can tell.

I saw somewhere that a Churchill has been exported to the Netherlands recently, with a view of complete restoration.

Mike

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Hi Phill,

WS 88AFV equipped the early deliveries of Centurion, along with WS No.19 Mk2/1 and Mk.3. I suspect the No.31AFV came with Churchill, but would need to go digging to confirm that.

Mike

The original 'C' set for tanks was a standard WS38 Mk.II and dry battery connected into the harness via a Control Unit No.12. This allowed the set to be used but not via rebroadcast. Later on there was the WS38AFV with vibrator power supply (12V input only) and replacement control units (No.17 replacing No.1 (commander) and No.16 replacing No.2 (operator). This did permit rebroadcast between the A, B & C sets (controlled by the wireless operator).

Postwar saw the WS38AFV replaced by the WS88AFV and WS31AFV (depending on role), the WS88AFV was only produced in a 12V 'A' (channels A-D) model, and was effectively a "drop in" replacement for the WS38AFV.

Being tunable, the WS31AFV was far more flexible and usable with the early Larkspur radios, while the WS88 was more useful with supporting infantry.

(I suspect the Land Rover install with WS19/WS31 would be used as the C.O.'s "Rover", or for liaison purposes.

Best regards,
Chris. (I have Too Many of the WS38/88/31 AFV sets and supply units! (Especially as they don't cover any Amateur band and would be far too wide even if they did.) Racking is the problem: most of the mounting hardware was scrapped, either with the Larkspur roll-out or with the whole vehicle at EOL.)