RGA Siege battery soldiers equipment - linesman/signallers wire cutters etc and great coat straps

[battle of loos]

And there's this, but found in another sector.
But here, I'm off topic in relation to the original theme. :

michel

[NigelS]

5 hours ago, battle of loos said:

And there's this, but found in another sector.
But here, I'm off topic in relation to the original theme. :

Sort of related, so I think you can probably be forgiven...

Intrigued by those with both 'GPO' (General Post Office) and broad arrow markings; sort of explained on page 8 of this pdf: https://www.nia.org/publications/ww_porcelain_1986 sup.pdf

I think what they're trying to say is that, although the broad arrow signifies WD ownership, because Army phone lines eventually - although not on the WF, but certainly back in England - had to connect to the GPOs system, insulators used would have to meet the latters standards for insulators and would have  to be so so marked. I doubt the WD would want to worry about distinguishing between insulators destined for home or WF use.  I've been trying to make out the logos marked on the two at the bottom left of the 2nd image, but without success.  It appears that there are enthusiasts for such items, and  I also discovered that there's a 'Telegraph Pole Appreciation Society' !

NigelS

[Chasemuseum]

39 minutes ago, NigelS said:

I doubt the WD would want to worry about distinguishing between insulators destined for home or WF use.

 More a question of the chicken and the egg. Following the Crimean War, the WD developed the "list of Changes in War Materiel" system to develop formal specifications and sealed patterns for equipment to be manufactured for the Army and the Navy. With respect telegraphy and for the limited application of telephony connected to public transmission networks, the WD deferred to the GPO to generate design specifications and manage quality control from suppliers. The army manual "Instructions in Army Telegraphy and Telephony - Vol 1 - Instruments" 1914 provides a huge amount of information on the equipment and virtually all the telegraphy equipment listed is simply the "GPO" pattern and described as such. 

 

Volume 2 (1909) of the same series covers lines and insulators, with the following material on insulators.

 

[battle of loos]

thank's for the document

[Chasemuseum]

BoL

Thank you for your images of the insulated wire and the small reel.

Both of the manuals are available on the internet as pdf copies, google books I think. Strongly recommend these manuals if you are interested in British Great War telegraphy and telephony.

With the telephony, the BEF used two groups of "field telephones", those designed to be used in the trenches as field telephones and those that were designed to be interconnected with the civilian telephone networks. The latter are sometimes referred to as "Line of Communication" models, but were also used extensively by artillery, particularly AA artillery. The LoC phones use designs registered with (or designed by) the GPO and are so marked and labelled.

 

   

[6th Hauraki KIA KAHA]

I thought I would add a few pics to this tread from my collection related to what is above in lines.

 

 

 

[MrEd]

This is super, I will search for the PDF and have a good read - I may change the thread title so that we can continue to explore this telephony/signaller direction 

 

I haven’t yet found vol I as a pdf but here is vol II - Lines

https://ia600900.us.archive.org/19/items/instructioninarm02greaiala/instructioninarm02greaiala.pdf

Edited 6 October , 2023 by MrEd

[6th Hauraki KIA KAHA]

The Lines and instruments used to be quite easy to find on ebay maybe not any more  I paid about 20 pounds for each yes they are must have in any form.

The all important Q and I detector for linesman comes in a leather case with strap.

Also for checking batteries, I was lucky to to find this one.

 

[battle of loos]

seeing here p 38 - 103 - 104 -  - thank's "MrEd" :

https://ia600900.us.archive.org/19/items/instructioninarm02greaiala/instructioninarm02greaiala.pdf

michel

 

 

Edited 6 October , 2023 by battle of loos

[Chasemuseum]

14 hours ago, 6th Hauraki KIA KAHA said:

batteries, I was lucky to to find this one

Easy for you, NZ is the global source of WW1 British batteries. You will occasionally see field telephones being sold in the UK with the WW1 batteries still in them but it tends to be a lucky dip as the auctioneers usually don't bother taking detailed photos of the batteries.

NZ on the other hand I have bought several loose batteries

[6th Hauraki KIA KAHA]

Not sure about being the global source of WW1 British batteries I have been collecting Signals since the 1990s it took time and effort to find them.

Those Obach examples you have are very nice the labels.

 

Not the same but interesting looking labels with this baseboard.

 

Edited 7 October , 2023 by 6th Hauraki KIA KAHA
adding Photograph

[Chasemuseum]

Those Obach are not mine unfortunately. Mores the pity. I have a GPO 92 so could not justify also buying a GPO 92A. 

Lovely photo, but I don't think they are using a base board. I think its a "Transmitter Vibrating" as below. These are detailed  in  "Instructions in Army Telegraphy and Telephony - Vol 1 - Instruments" page 215 onwards. The batteries shown appear to be two of the large cylindrical batteries commonly used with wall mounted telephones of the period.

 

 

[6th Hauraki KIA KAHA]

Yes you are right they come in 3 diffrent models the  Transmitter Vibrating"  I have this mk1 baseboard set 1916 dated.

Edited 8 October , 2023 by 6th Hauraki KIA KAHA

[GWF1967]

4 hours ago, Chasemuseum said:

Those Obach are not mine unfortunately. Mores the pity. I have a GPO 92 so could not justify also buying a GPO 92A. 

Lovely photo, but I don't think they are using a base board. I think its a "Transmitter Vibrating" as below. These are detailed  in  "Instructions in Army Telegraphy and Telephony - Vol 1 - Instruments" page 215 onwards. The batteries shown appear to be two of the large cylindrical batteries commonly used with wall mounted telephones of the period.

 

 

 

 

 

I also have a GPO 92 (Mark 235), one of a pair I found in a junk shop for £30 each.

 I purchased the Broad Arrow marked example, the other one later appeared on ebay priced at £100+, which is when I discovered that it still contained a pair of Siemens batteries.

[battle of loos]

I have had the opportunity to find several times the tightening screws visible on your equipment on the battle field.

michel

[MrEd]

Does anyone have an example of the transport case for the Edison and Swann galvanometer they could post a photo of please?

 

Thanks

ed

[Chasemuseum]

Which pattern of galvanometer ? the QI ?

[6th Hauraki KIA KAHA]

He means the leather case for the Q and I.

[Chasemuseum]

Its not a good example, as the lid and shoulder strap are missing but this is for a Q & I galvanometer.

maker R.W.STIBY 1915  there are no broad arrow or inspectors marks. Note that the buckle has thin leather stitched over it, something usually associated with officer's private purchase equipment. It came with an Ediswan Q&I meter, that was 1918 dated.

 

 

 

By comparison, this is the case for a horizontal galvanometer

 

I have not seen a case for a cathedral galvanometer, they must have existed but as I said I have not seen one

Cheers

Ross

 

[6th Hauraki KIA KAHA]

Thanks for posting the pictures I do have a case for the Q and I but it's in a location I can't access at the moment mine has a  broad arrow on the top of the case lid maybe yours did. Good to see the case and horizontal galvanometer. I did see case for a cathedral galvanometer it was a wooden box with brass handle.

[MrEd]

Thank you @Chasemuseum that’s nice to see, now I know what it looks like. I got gifted a Q and I galvanometer for Christmas (Edison and Swann 1915) 

 

I have also found a pair of the MkIV plier/side cutters thanks to a lead from @6th Hauraki KIA KAHA so will put up photos of them when they arrive to. Most expensive pair of pliers I have ever bought!! 
ed

 

[Chasemuseum]

I don't have a pair of the wire cutters and I suspect that given current prices I never will.

Gone are the days of going to the disposal store and going through the buckets of cutters and picking the WW1 pairs and then deciding are they worth 85c each. 

[6th Hauraki KIA KAHA]

you mean like this  UNUSUAL PAIR OF PLIERS WITH REMOVABLE CUTTER (STAMPED 1917)................1) Seller:,,,,,, £0.99

[Chasemuseum]

6 hours ago, 6th Hauraki KIA KAHA said:

 UNUSUAL PAIR OF PLIERS WITH REMOVABLE CUTTER (STAMPED 1917)................1) Seller:,,,,,, £0.99

at that price we can do a deal, even happy to double your money.

[MrEd]

Here are the pliers I found, I already had the frog