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  #1  
Old 29-09-20, 22:13
John Carmichael John Carmichael is offline
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Default Canadian Signals Photos from 1943 to 1972

I have over 100 signals based photos of CMP vehicles and Radio equipment taken between 1943 and 1954 plus a few from 1972. These were taken by my late Father in Law, Al Kimpton, from when he joined in 1943 as a private to when he retired in 1972 as RSM of 703 Signals in Ottawa, Canada.
Within these photos are 30 images of various wireless sets and other equipment in training use in Ontario.
Al was disabled from an injury as an infant and so could not initially join the military. However, he wrote personally to The Canadian Prime Minister, Mackenzie King, and persuaded him to change the rules so that disabled personnel could serve but were not permitted to serve overseas.
I don't think it is possible to post these all at once so I will post them bit by bit with some extra description.
The initial set of 5 is hopefully attached. and cover Connaught (near Ottawa) in 1943 (3 pics) plus the Wireless Ski Scheme in December 1943 (2 pics).
Attached Thumbnails
Don 5 Telephone.jpg   img002.jpg   img004.jpg   img005.jpg   img007.jpg  

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  #2  
Old 29-09-20, 22:25
John Carmichael John Carmichael is offline
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Default 5 More photos

These are the next 5 photos out of 13 taken at Connaught Ranges near Ottawa between May & July 1944
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img008.jpg   img009.jpg   img011.jpg   img012.jpg   img013.jpg  

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  #3  
Old 29-09-20, 22:28
John Carmichael John Carmichael is offline
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Default 5 More photos

5 more from the 13 taken at Connaught
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img015.jpg   img016.jpg   img017.jpg   img018.jpg   img019.jpg  

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  #4  
Old 29-09-20, 22:30
John Carmichael John Carmichael is offline
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Default The last 3 photos from the 13 taken at Connaught in 1944

The last 3 photos from the 13 taken at Connaught in 1944
Attached Thumbnails
img020.jpg   No 11 Set.jpg   Wireless Set 11.jpg  
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  #5  
Old 29-09-20, 22:47
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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Interesting photos, John. Thanks for posting.

David
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  #6  
Old 30-09-20, 07:18
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Some nice clear pictures of 11 sets which I've saved for my own personal 11 set folder.

Thanks Ron
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  #7  
Old 30-09-20, 14:20
maple_leaf_eh maple_leaf_eh is offline
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John,

Those are great shots of equipment. They also harken back to the time when as a boy, I would travel to Connaught Ranges in the summers with my father.

The 1000yd range is divided north/south by a road. Firing points, wind flags, butts and danger area to the north. The shots you posted show some of the infrastructure that I remember. Company scale bivouacs with bell tents nestled around white clapboard cookhouses and wash houses. The cookhouses weren't used as such when I was there, the single dining hall was overcrowded! But, cookhouse screen doors and lift-up serving windows were still there. The wash houses had coal fired boilers, showers on one side and low galvanized trough pissers with some really stinky shitter stalls on the other. For a child, those "elimination" places must have challenged my toilet training. However, the sight in the photos that rings most profoundly, are the rows of tall elegant elm and ash trees. Victims of invasive insects that have changed the landscape. Those trees are all gone, including the one that shooters would nail their shoes to.
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  #8  
Old 01-10-20, 15:51
John Carmichael John Carmichael is offline
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Default More photos

The first three photos here were taken in Ottawa in October 1944 and the fourth was taken at Connaught in July 1945. I will be adding three more in the next post which cover an important telegram from 7th May 1945 and finally another post of a further five taken at Connaught in July 1945.
Attached Thumbnails
Fund Raising.jpg   Lynx Armoured Car & Anti Aircraft Gun.jpg   V1 Doodle Bug.jpg   img025.jpg  
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  #9  
Old 01-10-20, 16:45
John Carmichael John Carmichael is offline
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Default German Surrender telegram

These three images show the telegram of 7th May 1944 sent to Canadian Signals units with details of the German surrender
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img030.jpg   img031.jpg   img032.jpg  
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  #10  
Old 01-10-20, 16:48
John Carmichael John Carmichael is offline
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Default 5 more photos

These were taken at Connaught in July 1945
Attached Thumbnails
img028.jpg   img029.jpg   Otter Armoured Reconnaissance Car.jpg   UC-Ten Line.jpg   WS 19.jpg  

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  #11  
Old 01-10-20, 17:02
Bruce Parker (RIP) Bruce Parker (RIP) is offline
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Fantastic photos!!! Stacked, superimposed UC 10 switchboards...what's not to love!!!

Much of the equipment and trucks are 'obsolete' by 1943/44 standards but it makes sense they would use them for training. After all at the time they would be not more than a year or two old. Interesting they call the 8cwts 15cwts. It looks like it was done with not much thought so you have to wonder if that's what they referred to them as back then.

I expect the Diamond T was required to move the W/T No.9 set around...

(Can you possibly read the 19 set serial on the original photograph? It looks suspiciously like one of mine.)
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  #12  
Old 02-10-20, 00:09
Alex van de Wetering Alex van de Wetering is offline
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John,

Thank you so much for sharing these pictures!
It's always good to see new period pictures of 8cwts, especially these, as they are Chevrolet C8's cab 11's with cab vents, which makes them late 1940 production, just like mine....who knows, maybe one of them is mine.

I do note that one or two pictures are mirrored.....not from your scan, but obviously mirrored when developing the film in period. The picture looking into the back of the 8cwt (marked as 15cwt as mentioned by Bruce) is mirrored and one of the pictures with the trucks standing in a row is mirrored.

Quote:
Al was disabled from an injury as an infant and so could not initially join the military. However, he wrote personally to The Canadian Prime Minister, Mackenzie King, and persuaded him to change the rules so that disabled personnel could serve but were not permitted to serve overseas.
Well done!
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  #13  
Old 02-10-20, 11:51
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Mike Kelly Mike Kelly is offline
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Default pics

Interesting to see the 11 set mounted directly onto the 8cwt side panel, no wooden wireless box or cabinet to be seen. Another case of improvisation which was typical of so many of these early wireless setups. Just goes to show there are no set rules to follow

Would be good to know what they thought of the equipment , like the performance of the 11 sets, range and so on with those mobile setups and antennas
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  #14  
Old 02-10-20, 14:10
Bruce Parker (RIP) Bruce Parker (RIP) is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Kelly View Post
Interesting to see the 11 set mounted directly onto the 8cwt side panel, no wooden wireless box or cabinet to be seen. Another case of improvisation which was typical of so many of these early wireless setups. Just goes to show there are no set rules to follow

Would be good to know what they thought of the equipment , like the performance of the 11 sets, range and so on with those mobile setups and antennas
Note the 11 set face cover/seat the operator is sitting on? Another improvisation as the 'seat' was supposed to get the radio off the ground not its operator.
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  #15  
Old 03-10-20, 16:45
John Carmichael John Carmichael is offline
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Default More photos

The first 5 were taken at Kingston in June 1946.
The first two photos are labelled as "7 ton Z Vehicle.
The next two as a Hull regiment vehicle, where it looks like someone headed into the windscreen!
Attached Thumbnails
7 Ton Z-Vehicle 1.jpg   7 Ton Z-Vehicle 2.jpg   Hull Regt Vehicle 1.jpg   Hull Regt Vehicle 2.jpg   img042.jpg  

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  #16  
Old 03-10-20, 16:53
John Carmichael John Carmichael is offline
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Default More photos

The first four photos were taken at Kingston in June 1946 and the last at Borden in July 46.
The third double photo is labelled "RASC ration vehicle" and the fourth as "WS 19 in C15"
Attached Thumbnails
img043.jpg   img048.jpg   RCASC Ration Vehicle.jpg   WS 19 in C15.jpg   img051.jpg  

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  #17  
Old 03-10-20, 16:55
John Carmichael John Carmichael is offline
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Default More photos

All of these were taken at Borden in July 1946
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img053.jpg   img054.jpg   img055.jpg   img056.jpg   img064.jpg  

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  #18  
Old 03-10-20, 18:33
Gordon Yeo Gordon Yeo is offline
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Default truck photo

John

The signals van bodied truck is a 60 cwt. Signals CZMk IV. Lovely to see one in work close and on the job.

Gordon
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IMG_3314 (1).jpg  
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  #19  
Old 03-10-20, 18:37
Grant Bowker Grant Bowker is offline
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I suggest that the "WS19 in C15" in post 16 might actually be in a C8A similar to the HUP/HUW/other HU on post 17. The roof appears to be hard but the sliding roof hatch and door frame don't match a Wire-5 but do make sense for a C8A. The knobs used to hold the battery frame to the floor look similar in shape, maybe size too, to the knobs used to control the windshield position in a Cab13. Like the door latch hardware, they would have already been in the parts bin to ease design.
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  #20  
Old 04-10-20, 19:58
Bruce Parker (RIP) Bruce Parker (RIP) is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Grant Bowker View Post
I suggest that the "WS19 in C15" in post 16 might actually be in a C8A similar to the HUP/HUW/other HU on post 17. The roof appears to be hard but the sliding roof hatch and door frame don't match a Wire-5 but do make sense for a C8A. The knobs used to hold the battery frame to the floor look similar in shape, maybe size too, to the knobs used to control the windshield position in a Cab13. Like the door latch hardware, they would have already been in the parts bin to ease design.
Yes it is a C8A (later type with the wheel well on the right side) and the knobs are the windshield ones. The seats, battery trays and table all come out and are held in with these knobs attached to very flimsy chains.
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  #21  
Old 05-10-20, 20:12
Bob Carriere Bob Carriere is offline
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Default Post #17.....

Grant did you see.........

First Picture...... "trialer"...... just like yours BUT the flex side panels have been removed....hinges and arms are still in place...... fenders look weird?????

Great pictures...........
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  #22  
Old 05-10-20, 23:45
John Carmichael John Carmichael is offline
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Default 5 More photos

These were taken at Wasaga Beach in July 1946
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img057.jpg   img058.jpg   img059.jpg   img060.jpg   img062.jpg  

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  #23  
Old 05-10-20, 23:52
John Carmichael John Carmichael is offline
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Default 5 More photos

The first was taken at Wasaga Beach in July 1946, the next 4 at Ottawa in March 1947.
These last 4 are described as:
8 x WS19 + WS9
Booby Trap Training
Mine Training
Talking to Kingston
Attached Thumbnails
img063.jpg   8 x WS19 + WS 9.jpg   Booby Trap Training.jpg   Mine Training.jpg   Talking to Kingston.jpg  

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  #24  
Old 05-10-20, 23:59
John Carmichael John Carmichael is offline
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Default 3 more photos

The first is from Ottawa in March 1947 and goes with the last 4 in the post above.
The last two were taken in Ottawa in June 1947 when cable laying for President Truman's visit. The last being labelled "returning home"
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The Line Room.jpg   Cable Laying for Pres. Truman's visit.jpg   Returning Home.jpg  
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  #25  
Old 06-10-20, 00:04
Bruce Parker (RIP) Bruce Parker (RIP) is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John Carmichael View Post
The first was taken at Wasaga Beach in July 1946, the next 4 at Ottawa in March 1947.
These last 4 are described as:
8 x WS19 + WS9
Booby Trap Training
Mine Training
Talking to Kingston
Last photo is a Wireless Set No.43 transmitter. A rare photo of a very rare (no survivors?) radio.
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  #26  
Old 06-10-20, 03:19
Ed Storey Ed Storey is offline
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Default Photographs

What caught my eye was the detail and artistry of of the diagrams on the chalk board. If you knew what street in Ottawa where that last Jeep photograph was taken, you could go back today and taking a matching image.
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  #27  
Old 06-10-20, 11:08
Grant Bowker Grant Bowker is offline
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The style of the lightpost in the photo of the cable layers makes me think of Rockliffe park overlooking the Ottawa River in the vicinity of the present-day US Ambassador's residence (was that already in place at the time of the photo?). The jeep photo struck me as having the character of the area between Elgin Street and the Rideau Canal, perhaps close to the park a couple of blocks south of Cartier Square Drill Hall. Sandy Hill might be another possibility. If they were running the cable from the US Embassy (opposite Parliament - not the new one) to the residence, does that offer a clue?
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  #28  
Old 06-10-20, 15:37
John Carmichael John Carmichael is offline
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Default Chalk Board Artistry

Al Kimpton, the person who took all these photos, was a well known artist and Calligrapher so it is quite possibly his work.
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  #29  
Old 06-10-20, 15:57
John Carmichael John Carmichael is offline
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Default 5 More photos

The first 3 were taken at Connaught between August and November 1947. The first is captioned as "Command Vehicle' and the third captioned "Remembrance day at Almonte". The next also at Connaught in July 1948 and is captioned "3rd Infantry Division Signals" and lastly "Jones Falls Scheme" in August 1947.
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Command Vehicle.jpg   img073.jpg   Remembrance Day at Almonte.jpg   3rd Infantry Divisional Signals.jpg   Jones Falls Scheme.jpg  

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  #30  
Old 06-10-20, 16:20
John Carmichael John Carmichael is offline
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Default 2 more photos

These were taken in September 1948 and are captioned:
1- Cartier Street, Ottawa
2- Post Hole Borer
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Cartier Street, Ottawa.jpg   img080.jpg  
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