19-Set/Clansman/Larkspur Adapter

[David Dunlop]

Somewhere on the net in the last couple of weeks, I ran across a reference to one of these, with a very fuzzy picture and I cannot, for the life of me retrace where I ran across it. Thought I would toss it out here in case somebody recognizes the details and can perhaps provide more information.

What the item appeared to be was a 6 or 8 inch long heavy rubber cable. One end was fitted with a standard 12-pin 19-Set Cable Connector. The opposite end had a female 6-pin Clansman/Larkspur Headset Receptacle fitted. From what I understood from the article, by fitting this adapter to a 19-Set Control Box, the Clansman/Larkspur Commanders Headset could be connected and be fully functional within the 19-Set System.

I am guessing this adapter was most likely in use during the transition years, when the 19-Set equipment was being phased out and the newer Clansman/Larkspur equipment phased in. I know in the early 1960's, the Canadian Army had a version of the M37/42 Signals Van in their inventory that was equipped with a 19-Set and a C42 Set, which would be an ideal environment for one of these adapters.

What crosses my mind now is whether or not these adapters would have been a limited run special order item that was contracted for, or if the design came into being as a field mod on an 'as needed' basis.

David