Location of Variometer on a late Ram Kangaroo?

[kevinT]

Can anyone help me out here please. I am trying to build a model of a late Ram Kangaroo and need to know the location of the Variometer of a No. 19 radio set.
I have one stowage diagram but it shows the radio set covered so it is not ontop of the set. Was it to the right of the set as you look at it or attached to the underside of the upper hull?
Thanks for any advice.

Cheers
Kevin

[Jon Skagfeld]

Greetings, Kevin:

Perhaps you might PM or e-mail SUNRAY (owner/moderator of this Forum). He has a very close relationship with veterans of the 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment Association.

Also, Mark Tonner (who wrote the Kangaroo book available from Service Publilcations) might be able to help.

Pity you didn't pose this question prior to the 10 Nov Annual Re-union of the 1CACR.

[kevinT]

Hello Jon,

Yes you are right I should have asked Bill Miller I believe he was present too.
I have been planning doing a late Ram Kangaroo for a while and thought I had sufficient info. Wrong again!
I also have parts 1 and 2 of Ram Developement and Variations by Paul Roberts, although I can't find pt 1. Other reference I am using is an article by Ed Storey in a Military Modelling mag from July - August 2000.
Anyone with any suggestions appreciated.

Cheers
Kevin

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Bill's the one to ask - he can just ring up his dad!

[Bill Miller]

Okay... I'd been ignoring this thread since I didn't have a ready answer, but since my name came up, I guess I better say something?

I'll give my Dad a call on this but I doubt he'll remember much about the wireless setup. Lt. Don Simpson is really the one to call, he was the signals troop leader (and present at the reunion). I have his personal diary notes and it does mention problems with the variometers getting wet all the time, but not specific location. Perhaps they were mounted above the set on the underside of the hull and exposed to more condensation and run off from the open turret ring??

Also, the wireless set was placed quite far forward in the left sponson, placing the variometer on the right of the set might interfere with the co-driver/bow gun operation. This was a definite problem with the earlier style Rams with the separate MG cuppola. In those models the wireless could not be placed properly in the left sponson as they interfered with the operation of the MG. DDME notes and Simpson's own notes indicate two options for the earlier style Rams. Wireless sets were placed on a plate over the transmission or in the right Sponson, beside and to the rear of the Driver.

I'll try to call Mr. Simpson later in the week.

Does this help?

Bill.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Can you post a picture of the stowage diagram of the Kangaroo you are trying to depict? From that, I can tell you if it is under the A Aerial base or elsewhere. There were two ways of mounting the variometer, one was directly on the inside of the turret/hull roof under the aerial base; the other remotely with a cable lead.

[Bill Miller]

Bruce and Kevin, please forgive my long winded response, while I do not have an exact answer perhaps there are some clues here that will help you? Unfortunately in all the photos i have there is no clear photo of the inside of the turret ring looking forward to the co-driver/driver's compartment

If you go to my Kangaroo Archives website:
http://www.canadiankangaroos.ca/Site/War%20Diaries.html

Read the enties for Dec 4/44 and Early January '45 (particularly Jan 2 & 3), there is some mention of the problems I indicated in the other post. The repositioning of #19 sets in the January entries refers to the early Rams they received on December 15 (letter from 2i/c Mjr. bingham), believed to be either decommissioned Gun Towers or Ammunition Carriers.

Of the 12 Rams Bingham refers too 6 are of the early, turret style MG (CT 159502 and earlier). The positionof the wireless set in the left sponson interferes with the traverse of the MG by more than 5 degrees. DDME, CMHQ and finally #1 Workshop all agreed to place the wireless set on a bracket (devised by CBW) over the transmission. This modification was acceptable for Gun Towers. However, not found suitable by 1CACR, whom opted to place the wireless in the right sponson.

Jan 9, Sigs WD mentions that this modification left the "variometer to jut out and be in the way of the driver"... so I am assuming the variometer was kept quite near the set, regardless of which sponson it was in. Probably mounted on the hull roof/side wall?

Notice also that in Bingham's letter 6 of the latter style Rams also had their wireless sets interfering with the MG/co-driver. This is because they were simply positioned too far forward in the left sponson and had to me moved back slightly.

Jan 19 WD entry... "Quite a few bits shrapnel found in the variometer of one set...", perhaps the variometer had exposure close to the edge of the turret ring?

DDME letter of Jan 17/45 outlines the repostioning issue in early style Rams used as APC's: "...The unit has found it necessary to move the No 19 wireless set from the left sponson to a similar position in the right sponson. The control box is left in its original position. This involves three man hours. Repositioning the set on the left sponson by placing the power unit on top, proved unsatisfactory. This matter is brought to your attention so that if you concur representation could be made to UK to have this work done before replacement vehs shipped overseas."

Not that it helps, but I have the 1 Cdn Base Wkshp request to convert the first 100 Rams to APC's. It has only three simple instructions (no mention or direction for the specific placement of the variometer):
1. Remove the turret, basket & ring.
2. Reposition #19 Wireless Set in sponson to LEFT of driver's mate.
3. If feasible (or not already done) to reposition the veh. batteries in sponson.

The original selection of Rams to convert to APC were all made from late model (cast in hull MG) Rams CT159502 and higher, though in the end, according to an regimental census for ops Blackcock and Veritable the 1CACR recieved a couple very early style Rams in the 40000 series.

end of boring pontification...

Bill.