Field phone and switchboard inter-operability

[Mike K]

Most of the WW2 era British pattern field telephone equipment was also manufactured outside of Britain. Australia and Canada ( and N.Z. ? ) built copies of the field phones D mk V and switchboards.

I have a Aust. made Telephone F , have also seen L phones . Here, the Postmaster General (PMG) , operated the govt. owned communications network, the PMG operated their own factories where many thousands of wartime field phones were manufactured. The PMG ran just about everything, from the telephone system to amateur radio licensing and exams.A friend did his radio tech. apprenticeship in the PMG during the 1960s.

Used to buy D mk 5 phones for $10 but the recent prices have been going through the roof, up to $200. Just recently I spotted two "A" remote control units at $125 each, Aust. built for the W.S. 11.

I've seen many Australian built field sets that were supplied with a die cast alloy case, over time, the alloy corrodes into a white powder substance. Don't know if the alloy cases were also seen in other countries ?

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

Most of the WW2 era British pattern field telephone equipment was also manufactured outside of Britain. Australia and Canada ( and N.Z. ? ) built copies of the field phones D Mark V and switchboards.

Yes, the British Empire/Commonwealth meant that lots of equipment was designed in the UK, then manufactured (where possible) for local use in other countries. I've got (I think) New Zealand made signals kit, an Australian tripod and bomb disposal telephones, and US and Canadian manufactured WS19s and ancillaries.

Changes were made for local manufacture: the Canadian Telephone Set 'D' Mark V has an aluminium (rather than steel) case, and the WS19 aerial base spacer is made of plywood (with cork gaskets) rather than rubber.

I have a Aust. made Telephone F , have also seen L phones . Here, the Postmaster General (PMG) , operated the govt. owned communications network, the PMG operated their own factories where many thousands of wartime field phones were manufactured. The PMG ran just about everything, from the telephone system to amateur radio licensing and exams.A friend did his radio tech. apprenticeship in the PMG during the 1960s.

Used to buy D mk 5 phones for $10 but the recent prices have been going through the roof, up to $200. Just recently I spotted two "A" remote control units at $125 each, Aust. built for the W.S. 11.

Prices have gone through the roof over the last few years, partly due to scarcity, but also due to people taking auction prices (where two people desperately want a particular item) as the actual value. Then there are the dealers (and optimists) waiting for the One True Sucker to appear and make them rich...

I've seen many Australian built field sets that were supplied with a die cast alloy case, over time, the alloy corrodes into a white powder substance. Don't know if the alloy cases were also seen in other countries ?

Canada made aluminium cased kit, because they had hydroelectric power to run aluminium smelters, and also wooden instead of rubber parts for similar reasons: locally available materials.

There's stuff I want for the collection available in Australia (Bags, Telephone Receiver - the forerunner of the "Satchel, Signals"), but shipping costs have also gone through the roof.

Too much stuff got melted down as scrap or buried in landfill.

Best regards,
Chris.