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Radio equipment at infantry Battalion level


RobynM

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What radio sets were being employed by Australian Infantry Battalions along the Western Front in 1918? I have researched as far as I can here but cannot get a technical description of radio communications sets in service in Great War infantry units.

Hoping the Great War Forum brains trust can help.

 

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Robyn,

 

I am sure someone will be able to help you with this, but have you tried contacting the Australian War Memorial (http://awm.gov.au) or even the Australian Army Signals Museum (https://cv.vic.gov.au/organisations/australian-army-signals-museum/).

 

Mark

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Thank you Mark,

Yes I have looked at the online records of the AWM but alas nothing there so far. The Army Signals Museum is a good idea. I'll go there next.

If anyone out there might be able to direct me, it would be greatly appreciated. We are working with the period in between Sailly Le Sec and Le Hamel in 1918.

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Robyn,

 

Do you live near the Museum? If not I may be able to pop in over the next couple of weeks.

 

Mark

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No Mark we are in the Gold Coast Hinterland, so a long way from the museum.

 

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Would you like me to pop in? It would be in the next couple of weeks.

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That would be great, I have no chance of getting down there in the foreseeable. Where is it btw?

 

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To be more specific the manuscript contains a British Army signals service officer introducing the W/T Trench Set Mk III to an Australian Imperial Force battalion the date is May 1918. An accurate/viable historic reference?

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1 hour ago, RobynM said:

To be more specific the manuscript contains a British Army signals service officer introducing the W/T Trench Set Mk III to an Australian Imperial Force battalion the date is May 1918. An accurate/viable historic reference?

 

The manuscript to which you refer is?

 

3 hours ago, RobynM said:

That would be great, I have no chance of getting down there in the foreseeable. Where is it btw?

 

 

The Museum is in Macleod which is a couple of suburbs over from me. I shall try and get over there next week.

 

Mark

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I don't think that many infantry battalions had their own wireless sets until very late in the war, if at all.

 

The Signal Service (France) by Major R E Priestley is available online:

https://archive.org/stream/signalserviceine00prie/signalserviceine00prie_djvu.txt

 

It is very readable for the non-expert.

 

Ron

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The manuscript is a new historical fiction novel. It is on its third review now. I love it but can't stop crying as I proof it.

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The Australian battalions definitely carried radios and signaled their achievement of the objective (infantry halt line) at Le Hamel by radio on July 4 and almost certainly during the offensives along the Ancre in May/June. Monash's memoirs record this.

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3 minutes ago, RobynM said:

The manuscript is a new historical fiction novel. It is on its third review now. I love it but can't stop crying as I proof it.

OK, I understand now. Ron's tip above might be worth a look, and may answer your questions.

 

I shall still visit the museum regardless and get you some images.

 

Mark

 

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On ‎19‎/‎02‎/‎2018 at 06:08, RobynM said:

What radio sets were being employed by Australian Infantry Battalions along the Western Front in 1918? I have researched as far as I can here but cannot get a technical description of radio communications sets in service in Great War infantry units.

Hoping the Great War Forum brains trust can help.

 

Hi

 

Although I do most of my research on Air/Ground and Ground/Air communications equipment, everything is connected in some ways so ground/ground methods also turn up during my research.

For what the Australians had (also British, Canadians etc used the same equipment) you need to look at the pre-battle orders and instructions that were issued.  For example at the AWM collection, RCDIG1010814 has a Fourth Australian Division 'Instruction No. 4 Issued under Divisional Order No. 128' on 'Signal Arrangements' dated 1 July 1918.  Para 2 is 'Wireless' this contains the information that mentions:

 

"One loop-set will be set up permanently at Left and Centre Brigade HQs.  One loop-set will be attached to each forward party and moved with it."

 

Another source is 'Communications and British Operations on the Western Front, 1914-1918' by Brian N. Hall, Cambridge University Press, 2017 (this is based on his PhD which I believe is available on-line).  This book's Appendix 2 has a list of Principle Wireless Sets in the BEF, 1914-1918.  On the Loop-Set (introduced 1917 it states that it was a Spark Set, used at the Brigade-Battalion level, Sending Frequency 65 or 80 metres, Power was 20 watt, range approx. 1 mile.  It also mentions in notes:

 

"Rear station (82 lb) Front station (74 lb).  Number of transmitters produced 4,670).  Number of receivers produced (3,842)."

 

Page 264 mentions problems at Amiens with the system including range problems.

 

As mentioned Priestley is a good source, see page 225 reference the Loop-Set, officially 'W/T set, forward, spark, 20 watts, B, front and rear.' The footnote mentions that a technical description of the set was issued as 'Technical Instruction No. 4. November, 1917.'

Extract from page 225 below.

I hope that helps.

 

Mike

 

WW1infofftrgwin011.jpg.9ab13cc4e101d2881aa85be89e44e90a.jpg

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On ‎19‎/‎02‎/‎2018 at 06:08, RobynM said:

What radio sets were being employed by Australian Infantry Battalions along the Western Front in 1918? I have researched as far as I can here but cannot get a technical description of radio communications sets in service in Great War infantry units.

Hoping the Great War Forum brains trust can help.

 

Hi

 

Further to my previous post, an internet search does bring up some images of the Loop-Set.  For example the Receiver, Transmitter and loop aerial below.

 

Mike

WW1-Forward-Spark-20W-Rx-300x284.jpg.0ced621757265b96345be61b1671eef5.jpg

WW1-Forward-Spark-20W-Tx-190x300.jpg.638de9bad15905a84b3640393d3565f5.jpg

WW1loopsetaerial.jpg.5347a21ac776945a14786aaf838b9a08.jpg

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Loop Sets, now that is something that I can start looking at. We are absolutely sticklers for accuracy and my job is to fact check as well as proof. The manuscript is scorching.

 

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37 minutes ago, RobynM said:

Loop Sets, now that is something that I can start looking at. We are absolutely sticklers for accuracy and my job is to fact check as well as proof. The manuscript is scorching.

 

Hi

The document SS191 'Inter-Communication in the Field', November, 1917, has the following information regarding wireless:

WW1infofftrgwin015.jpg.4a1d4f7b6c58ec585573196338410cb1.jpg

WW1infofftrgwin014.jpg.9b6bfadfd32fee214c7ea97c3535ddd4.jpg

WW1infofftrgwin016.jpg.b0d62da7db653d9f1ce82e122c4f8065.jpg

 

I hope that is of use.

 

Mike

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Thanks very much Mike. Just have the right words/systems to research helped immediately.

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