Which headsets ?

[RichardT10829]

Hey folks, I am fitting a Mk2 WS19 set to my Mk1 carrier, but I am unsure as to which headsets should go with my carrier ? (There are so many variations!)

Any one know the definitive answer ?

[Johnny Canuck]

Actually referred to as Headset Assemblies.
Canadian types:


British: Wireless set No 19 Headset Mike Hand No 13 ZA17606 GI


There are more British types, but I'm not familiar with them.

The Tannoy version was to be used by the Driver/Assistant as they thought the signal would be lost in the slip rings of turreted tanks. This proved unfounded and was later dropped. The Tannoy also required a special JD for power if I'm not mistaken.

Geoff

[David Dunlop]

Hi Richard. Great summary posted by Geoff on how they evolved.

You will notice the early types were fitted with a single head band (usually metal with or without a thin leather cover) that went over the top of your head, and the Mic had a canvas neck strap. If you get a chance to wear these for any length of time with the mic unsecured, you discover rather quickly just how heavy all that cording and the mic actually are in work mode. If you should happen to be leaning forward at all to tune the set, work the morse key or be writing anything down and drop the mic, the entire headset will come flying off.

The later designs did away with the mic strap and added a second, adjustable canvas strap setup to the head piece. The canvas strap adjusted over the top of your head and the metal/leather strap went around the back of your neck. If you happened to drop the mike with one of these on, everything stayed put on your head.

Another slight wrinkle to all this is that the American Mk II production for sure also utilized a metal and canvas breast plate assembly one could mount the mic into and fasten round your neck to keep the mic readily at hand. Not sure if the British or Canadian production ever made this item.

Fun stuff and thanks for sharing the photos, Geoff.

David

[David Dunlop]

Here is a photo of an NOS Breast Plate for the 19-Set Mic. Several dealers flog them on a regular basis on eBay.


David

[RichardT10829]

Cheers guys.

Will need three for my carrier installation

[Johnny Canuck]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Another slight wrinkle to all this is that the American Mk II production for sure also utilized a metal and canvas breast plate assembly one could mount the mic into and fasten round your neck to keep the mic readily at hand. Not sure if the British or Canadian production ever made this item.

Pretty sure I have the Microphone Holder with C /l\, will see if I can find them and post. The holder only works with Microphones No.3 and 7, the CDN Type 10 had a clip on the back and the British No.13 had a strap.??
One has to remember that Lend/Lease was both ways, the Americans bought Canadian manufactured products to prevent our bankruptcy. Roosevelt and King worked out a trade deal between the USA and Canada that allowed us to sell goods to the US balancing the trade deficit caused by Lend/Lease. So to find Canadian items in US manufactured kit or visa versa is not surprising. The Allies tried to work efficiently most of the time.
Canada wanted to get into tank production, Valentine, Ram, then Grizzly, but USA M4 production supplied all the Allied needs for Shermans, so Canadian M4 production was stopped at 400-500+- units and focused on the Sexton instead. This type of rationalization of production won the war.
Most of the Mackinaw jackets that the USA used, were actually made in Canada and sent to the USA as reverse Lend/Lease if I'm not mistaken.


David

Geoff aka Johnny Canuck

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by RichardT10829

Hey folks, I am fitting a Mk2 WS19 set to my Mk1 carrier, but I am unsure as to which headsets should go with my carrier ? (There are so many variations!)

Any one know the definitive answer ?

The definitive answer will be:

1) Microphone & Headgear Assembly No.1
2) Manufactured in the same country as the set you have fitted.

I don't believe the Carrier used the Junction Distribution boxes (which were a bodge to get around the limited number of slip rings in the turret rotary base junction in tanks), so you Do Not Want any No.2 headsets with Tannoy mics.

I also don't think that British sets were issued with the "breastplate" microphone holders, which seem to have been a Canadian invention - and a useful one for anyone needing to lock the set on transmit and sent long messages. (There was another attachment for the later Microphone, Hand, No.10 - the circular bakelite "fist mike" that was part of Microphone & Receiver Headgear No.10 (the British version). That attachment appears to clamp onto a rod, and was probably for command vehicles.)

Basically, for an "early" set like the Mk.II, you want the headset with Mic Hand No.7 (the bakelite "lollypop" variety). Some of these were fitted with hooks to hang them on the brush guard or convenient projections, others had neck straps, and still others were modified in the field with neck straps. The early ones would have been "raw" and inconvenient to stow anywhere.

Regards,

Chris.

[RichardT10829]

Thanks Chris.

The 19 set is a Canadian Mk2 unit with Cyrillic tabs, and the carrier is a 1942 Canadian Mk1

Not sure on what make the 19 set is as I have not got it home yet.

[Mike Kelly]

I used to buy the post war sets made here by NYLEX , these were NOS for 2 bucks in sealed boxes marked 1956.

The whole harness was a black sealed moulded affair with a large web where the leads converged and where the brand " NYLEX 1956 " was moulded onto the web. The store had hundreds of boxes of them .

The earlier type with the cloth / cotton leads were always hard to find here . I guess these NYLEX sets were made to replace the worn out WW2 headsets . The larkspur sets were yet to arrive !

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

I used to buy the post war sets made here by NYLEX , these were NOS for 2 bucks in sealed boxes marked 1956.

The whole harness was a black sealed moulded affair with a large web where the leads converged and where the brand " NYLEX 1956 " was moulded onto the web. The store had hundreds of boxes of them .

The earlier type with the cloth / cotton leads were always hard to find here . I guess these NYLEX sets were made to replace the worn out WW2 headsets . The larkspur sets were yet to arrive !

There would be a couple of good reasons for a fully moulded and waterproof headset assembly.

1) Tropic proofing - the old cloth ones would be very prone to fungus growth.

2) Decontamination - both chemical and nuclear is simple with waterproof cabling, but very unfriendly with the fabric covered ones. (I think that's also the reason behind most rifles switching from wooden to plastic furniture.)

Chris.