Canadian 19-Set Working Instructions

[Bruce MacMillan]

Canada never made the MK I sets. I believe only Pye in UK did. Production was started in 1941 but was replaced by the MK II in 1942. It appears to have had a narrow window of service. This would date the manual from mid to late 1942.

The manual was probably a cross over between the two sets. This might have allowed the MK I to be used for training.

The line drawing of the 19 set mounted in a Matilda tank is of a MK I set. WftW Vol. 2 has line drawings of all 3 MKs.

[Chris Suslowicz]

I have a reasonable selection of manuals, from the (undated) Mk.I - very interesting because it has "tabletop" displays of various configurations with the parts lists, a couple of variations of the Mk.II manual (for sets made in the US and Canada), and the Canadian Mk.III.

The British "Working Instructions Part 1" is a much thinner and less useful pamphlet, and is basically intended for the operator. (The US/Canadian ones are more like the Signal Training Volume III pamphlets for earlier equipment, or the Technical Description and First Echelon Servicing EMERs which replaced them.)

The amount of documentation was relentlessly slimmed down during WW2, and only really issued to the people who actually needed it, mainly to reduce waste of scarce resources.

As an example, Signal Training (All Arms) went from a thick book (updated about every 4 years) in 1938 (last issue) to a series of pamphlets and a binder, which could be updated as sections changed, and selected to suit the owner's role in 1942. (It was also a lot less to have to carry around - important for the Infantry.)

Chris

[David Dunlop]

I just purchased this Philco Mk II Manual dated 1st July 1942 (Ref.No. PC 90772C-195). 91 pages and an interesting read. No mention at all of the Mk I 19-Set but it does provide a lot of information on the interchangeability of all the components of the set between the British, Canadian and American made Mk II's for field maintenance purposes. Also a couple of nice photos of the kit for the US Medium Tank M4 and the British Infantry Tank Mk III*** (whatever that might be). Tucked inside the manual was a three page printed list of parts for the Set and Standard Kit No. 19 Mk II from the Zenith Radio Corporation in Chicago.

David

[Johnny Canuck]

Some more.

Left: WS19 MK.I, II & III North America ZA. 21575 (British??), 42 pages.
Right: WS19 MK.I, II & III Working Instructions, ZA. 21575, December 1949, War Office Whitehall, 40 pages.


Left: WS19 Mk.II Working Instructions, PC 90772C-195 July 1, 1942, Ottawa Canada, 93 pages+-.
Right: Same as above, but August 1, 1942, 116 pages+- (has photos and fold outs that the July one is missing)


Left: WS19 Mk.III Working Instructions, RCA 113923-1, Ottawa Canada, 135 pages+-.
Right: Same as above, 135 pages+-, smaller format.


Geoff