19-Set Vario/Aerial Base Mounting Plate

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by Tim Bell

I have one of these plates... no bolts... if someone is making the bolts and the retaining spring clips, I would definitely be interested in a set.

Ditto here. I need to check if they are 2BA or 3/16" BSF - Wireless for the Warrior drawings claim 2BA cheese head screws but there are "inconsistencies" in the drawing (it shows an early plate, with only 6 holes for the aerial base and no cutout for the strap, with an adapter plate and Larkspur J1 box).

I think we may have two varieties:

Plate & Bracket Assembly No.1, with one set of holes to take aerial base, variometer and a single sized control unit. Used with Carrier No.1 (or 21), and possibly with the (British) WS19HP, when it sits on top of the RF amplifier. (For that you need another bracket on the top of the supply unit to take the Condenser X5, 5kV for protection against overhead cables.)

There may well be other plates (e.g. one to take a double-size control unit (3 or 3A, I think) on top of the set for the Daimler Scout Car (Dingo)) with different sizes and hole patterns for other installations.

Plates, Mounting, No.1 with two sets of holes (some common to both orientations) and a rectangular notch for Carrier No.23. This can be used for LH or RH installations in, for example, an LCV.

There was an enormous amount of specialised mounting hardware (without considering limited field adaptations for special purposes or 'D' Day invasion vehicles), and most of it was probably smelted as the vehicles were sold off.

Originally Posted by Tim Bell

Long shot here...

Is it possible that when the WS38 AFV was mounted on top of the WS19 in a Tank, it would have been onto one of these plates?

Very, VERY unlikely. There would have been carriers specific to the WS38AFV manufactured - they made a couple of different types for the non-AFV install in the Churchill, after all - but they're not in the 1957 "Carriers Set Various" Illustrated Parts List, which is something of a bugger.

Originally Posted by Tim Bell

Wondering if I should be installing this plate when I put the WS19 into my Firefly in a couple of years time.

Definitely not. The plate is specifically for a demountable set in a 'B' vehicle. Your Firefly will have a presumably modified Sherman install, with the standard "Variometer mounted vertically and aerial feeder No.4 through the turret roof". There's a Centurion Mk.V install shown in WftW Vol 2 with two carriers, one on the supply unit to take the AFV supply unit and LF Amplifier, the second on the set to take the WS38AFV. This might be Carriers No.37 & 38 which appear to have the correct shape and late WW2 stores codes (ZA.26339 and ZA.26340 with later fixings). Firefly may well have used something entirely different.

Originally Posted by Tim Bell

EDIT - Is it possible these bolts/screws, are the same as those which hold the WS19 control boxes to the back plates? The spring clips appear to be..

No, the control unit screws are entirely different, and hex heads make a lot more sense for the mounting plate.

Regards,
Chris.