Canadian White M3A1 Scout Car Wireless Equipment

[Bob Ascah]

Coming late to the conversation.
- 1 ASSU was the only Canadian unit to have White M3 Scout Cars fitted with a WS No.9. Phantom which had patrols with the Canadians, was a British unit. The ASSUs (1 Canadian and 2 British) were Army level Signals units responsible for handling air requests/taskings between brigade, division, corps, army and to the rear wings and groups.
- The War Establishment was 30 Trucks 15cwt Wireless and 8 Trucks 15cwt Armoured. Each had a WS No.9 set with a crew of four and was referred to as a tentacle. 1 ASSU received their M3s in mid April. The War Diary indicates that the unit did a mock-up for the No.9 installation after which the vehicles went to 4 Armoured Brigade Workshop for modifications. There is no mention of the installation design. The one photo I've seen of a 1 ASSU M3 showed a Base Aerial Assembly on a short post fitted to rear bow on the outside of the canvas. This would suggest that the set was installed across the back wall as seen in some Phantom photos. As communications on the move wasn't a requirement for a tentacle, I surmise that the antennae were mounted on masts at the HQ location.
- When the M3s were replaced by CT15As in the winter, the vehicles went to an RAF MSSU (most likely 84 Group's No. 308) for fitting of the WS No.9, two 1143 air sets and a WS No.22. Again, no diagrams have come to light.
Bob