Scr300

[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.)