19-Set Vario/Aerial Base Mounting Plate

[Patrick Johnson]

Hello,
By chance I came across these two photos (link attached) in the Canadian War Museum collection while searching the internet for information on WS19 Mk II sets. This mounting plate shares the same basic Variometer, aerial and CU layout as mine. Nice to see there is one more of these in Canada! Here's the link:
http://www.warmuseum.ca/collections/...&mode=artifact
Cheers, Patrick

[Chris Suslowicz]

That's interesting. it's got a 1950's vintage "Aerial Base No.28" - the larkspur VHF aerial base - fitted to the top plate. Also, the power supply case appears to have been modified to suit the long strap of the Carrier No.25. (According to the drawings, ther should be an adapter plate fitted to the 4 holes in the supply unit (the ones with blanking grommets fitted in the photograph) that has reverse keyhole slots to take the adjustable plateon the securing strap.

This one presumably had the slots re-worked to point to the right, and the original slot cutouts covered up.

Chris.

[Patrick Johnson]

Currently up for auction on ebay is another one of these rare plates, same manufacture and finish as mine. The seller is suggesting they were used in the bren carriers.
eBay item number: 132398883162

[David Dunlop]

Well after sweating bullets for a while and seeing this item go unsold, I was able to make a deal with the seller and this Plate, Mounting No 1 is now on its way here. And it only took 30 odd years to track one down.

I am beginning to suspect that when these Plates were first disposed of, the Army scavenged all related components to put back into the system. By the time the last ones were surplussed out, they were so obsolete they were disposed of with most or all fittings still attached.

The stripped plates would be a challenge for anyone to figure out if they bought a box at a disposal sale.

Now I just have two bits to find for it, an intact Aerial Base No. 10 Mk II, and that fiddly little steel packing plate that sits between this Plates, Mounting No. 1 and the wooden Variometer mounting bracket.

David

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Now I just have two bits to find for it, an intact Aerial Base No. 10 Mk II, and that fiddly little steel packing plate that sits between this Plates, Mounting No. 1 and the wooden Variometer mounting bracket.

David

No, you only have one piece to find: an Aerial Base No.10 Mk.II.

The steel plate is only used for mounting the variometer on the supply unit or similar arrangements with four small screws. For this plate you use three 1/4" BSF setscrews (hex head) and the wooden/rubber/bakelite/etc. "Piece, Packing" to fill the gap between the flat plate and the curved variometer.

Much simpler.

Chris.

[David Dunlop]

Chris. You are just making this day get better and better! I may break into a happy dance at any moment!

David

[David Dunlop]

I am thinking the Wireless Set No. 19 installation in the wartime MB/GPW’s, utilizing the Plate, Mounting No.1, may have been a British idea, subsequently adopted by the Canadian Army.

There is a late 1940’s installation manual from the British Military for the 22-Set in the MB/GPW, and Canada published installation info in the early 1950’s for the 19-Set in the M38CDN, utilizing a completely different system than the Plate, Mounting No. 1.

A handful of these Plates have turned up in Canada. Is it possible, Canadian Army MB/GPW’s based in Canada during the war, and postwar up until replacement by the M38CDN, were equipped with 19-Set Installations using these plates? If so, should there be a Canadian Army publication covering the MB/GPW installation, or would Canada simply have used the available British publication?

Anyone ever run across either?

David