Canadian Signals Photos from 1943 to 1972

[John Carmichael]

I have over 100 signals based photos of CMP vehicles and Radio equipment taken between 1943 and 1954 plus a few from 1972. These were taken by my late Father in Law, Al Kimpton, from when he joined in 1943 as a private to when he retired in 1972 as RSM of 703 Signals in Ottawa, Canada.
Within these photos are 30 images of various wireless sets and other equipment in training use in Ontario.
Al was disabled from an injury as an infant and so could not initially join the military. However, he wrote personally to The Canadian Prime Minister, Mackenzie King, and persuaded him to change the rules so that disabled personnel could serve but were not permitted to serve overseas.
I don't think it is possible to post these all at once so I will post them bit by bit with some extra description.
The initial set of 5 is hopefully attached. and cover Connaught (near Ottawa) in 1943 (3 pics) plus the Wireless Ski Scheme in December 1943 (2 pics).

[John Carmichael]

These are the next 5 photos out of 13 taken at Connaught Ranges near Ottawa between May & July 1944

[John Carmichael]

5 more from the 13 taken at Connaught

[John Carmichael]

The last 3 photos from the 13 taken at Connaught in 1944

[David Dunlop]

Interesting photos, John. Thanks for posting.

David

[Ron Pier]

Some nice clear pictures of 11 sets which I've saved for my own personal 11 set folder.

Thanks Ron

[maple_leaf_eh]

John,

Those are great shots of equipment. They also harken back to the time when as a boy, I would travel to Connaught Ranges in the summers with my father.

The 1000yd range is divided north/south by a road. Firing points, wind flags, butts and danger area to the north. The shots you posted show some of the infrastructure that I remember. Company scale bivouacs with bell tents nestled around white clapboard cookhouses and wash houses. The cookhouses weren't used as such when I was there, the single dining hall was overcrowded! But, cookhouse screen doors and lift-up serving windows were still there. The wash houses had coal fired boilers, showers on one side and low galvanized trough pissers with some really stinky shitter stalls on the other. For a child, those "elimination" places must have challenged my toilet training. However, the sight in the photos that rings most profoundly, are the rows of tall elegant elm and ash trees. Victims of invasive insects that have changed the landscape. Those trees are all gone, including the one that shooters would nail their shoes to.

[John Carmichael]

The first three photos here were taken in Ottawa in October 1944 and the fourth was taken at Connaught in July 1945. I will be adding three more in the next post which cover an important telegram from 7th May 1945 and finally another post of a further five taken at Connaught in July 1945.

[John Carmichael]

These three images show the telegram of 7th May 1944 sent to Canadian Signals units with details of the German surrender

[John Carmichael]

These were taken at Connaught in July 1945

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Fantastic photos!!! Stacked, superimposed UC 10 switchboards...what's not to love!!!

Much of the equipment and trucks are 'obsolete' by 1943/44 standards but it makes sense they would use them for training. After all at the time they would be not more than a year or two old. Interesting they call the 8cwts 15cwts. It looks like it was done with not much thought so you have to wonder if that's what they referred to them as back then.

I expect the Diamond T was required to move the W/T No.9 set around...

(Can you possibly read the 19 set serial on the original photograph? It looks suspiciously like one of mine.)

[Alex van de Wetering]

John,

Thank you so much for sharing these pictures!
It's always good to see new period pictures of 8cwts, especially these, as they are Chevrolet C8's cab 11's with cab vents, which makes them late 1940 production, just like mine....who knows, maybe one of them is mine.

I do note that one or two pictures are mirrored.....not from your scan, but obviously mirrored when developing the film in period. The picture looking into the back of the 8cwt (marked as 15cwt as mentioned by Bruce) is mirrored and one of the pictures with the trucks standing in a row is mirrored.

Al was disabled from an injury as an infant and so could not initially join the military. However, he wrote personally to The Canadian Prime Minister, Mackenzie King, and persuaded him to change the rules so that disabled personnel could serve but were not permitted to serve overseas.

Well done!

[Mike K]

Interesting to see the 11 set mounted directly onto the 8cwt side panel, no wooden wireless box or cabinet to be seen. Another case of improvisation which was typical of so many of these early wireless setups. Just goes to show there are no set rules to follow

Would be good to know what they thought of the equipment , like the performance of the 11 sets, range and so on with those mobile setups and antennas

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

Interesting to see the 11 set mounted directly onto the 8cwt side panel, no wooden wireless box or cabinet to be seen. Another case of improvisation which was typical of so many of these early wireless setups. Just goes to show there are no set rules to follow

Would be good to know what they thought of the equipment , like the performance of the 11 sets, range and so on with those mobile setups and antennas

Note the 11 set face cover/seat the operator is sitting on? Another improvisation as the 'seat' was supposed to get the radio off the ground not its operator.

[John Carmichael]

The first 5 were taken at Kingston in June 1946.
The first two photos are labelled as "7 ton Z Vehicle.
The next two as a Hull regiment vehicle, where it looks like someone headed into the windscreen!

[John Carmichael]

The first four photos were taken at Kingston in June 1946 and the last at Borden in July 46.
The third double photo is labelled "RASC ration vehicle" and the fourth as "WS 19 in C15"

[John Carmichael]

All of these were taken at Borden in July 1946

[Gordon Yeo]

John

The signals van bodied truck is a 60 cwt. Signals CZMk IV. Lovely to see one in work close and on the job.

Gordon

[Grant Bowker]

I suggest that the "WS19 in C15" in post 16 might actually be in a C8A similar to the HUP/HUW/other HU on post 17. The roof appears to be hard but the sliding roof hatch and door frame don't match a Wire-5 but do make sense for a C8A. The knobs used to hold the battery frame to the floor look similar in shape, maybe size too, to the knobs used to control the windshield position in a Cab13. Like the door latch hardware, they would have already been in the parts bin to ease design.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Grant Bowker

I suggest that the "WS19 in C15" in post 16 might actually be in a C8A similar to the HUP/HUW/other HU on post 17. The roof appears to be hard but the sliding roof hatch and door frame don't match a Wire-5 but do make sense for a C8A. The knobs used to hold the battery frame to the floor look similar in shape, maybe size too, to the knobs used to control the windshield position in a Cab13. Like the door latch hardware, they would have already been in the parts bin to ease design.

Yes it is a C8A (later type with the wheel well on the right side) and the knobs are the windshield ones. The seats, battery trays and table all come out and are held in with these knobs attached to very flimsy chains.

[Bob Carriere]

Grant did you see.........

First Picture...... "trialer"...... just like yours BUT the flex side panels have been removed....hinges and arms are still in place...... fenders look weird?????

Great pictures...........

[John Carmichael]

These were taken at Wasaga Beach in July 1946

[John Carmichael]

The first was taken at Wasaga Beach in July 1946, the next 4 at Ottawa in March 1947.
These last 4 are described as:
8 x WS19 + WS9
Booby Trap Training
Mine Training
Talking to Kingston

[John Carmichael]

The first is from Ottawa in March 1947 and goes with the last 4 in the post above.
The last two were taken in Ottawa in June 1947 when cable laying for President Truman's visit. The last being labelled "returning home"

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by John Carmichael

The first was taken at Wasaga Beach in July 1946, the next 4 at Ottawa in March 1947.
These last 4 are described as:
8 x WS19 + WS9
Booby Trap Training
Mine Training
Talking to Kingston

Last photo is a Wireless Set No.43 transmitter. A rare photo of a very rare (no survivors?) radio.

[Ed Storey]

What caught my eye was the detail and artistry of of the diagrams on the chalk board. If you knew what street in Ottawa where that last Jeep photograph was taken, you could go back today and taking a matching image.

[Grant Bowker]

The style of the lightpost in the photo of the cable layers makes me think of Rockliffe park overlooking the Ottawa River in the vicinity of the present-day US Ambassador's residence (was that already in place at the time of the photo?). The jeep photo struck me as having the character of the area between Elgin Street and the Rideau Canal, perhaps close to the park a couple of blocks south of Cartier Square Drill Hall. Sandy Hill might be another possibility. If they were running the cable from the US Embassy (opposite Parliament - not the new one) to the residence, does that offer a clue?

[John Carmichael]

Al Kimpton, the person who took all these photos, was a well known artist and Calligrapher so it is quite possibly his work.

[John Carmichael]

The first 3 were taken at Connaught between August and November 1947. The first is captioned as "Command Vehicle' and the third captioned "Remembrance day at Almonte". The next also at Connaught in July 1948 and is captioned "3rd Infantry Division Signals" and lastly "Jones Falls Scheme" in August 1947.

[John Carmichael]

These were taken in September 1948 and are captioned:
1- Cartier Street, Ottawa
2- Post Hole Borer