Canadian Army Communications - 1944
In July 2007, Denis Chouinard VE2DSH, loaned me a rather rare pamphlet titled "Policy and Regulations For Fixed Signal Services in Canada". It was  issued by the Director of Signals (Army)  under the direction of The Chief of the General Staff, September 1944 and was originally classified as SECRET.

The purpose of the pamphlet was to provide a summary of the general practices for Fixed Signal Services as they applied in Canada to the operation of defences of all types including both Coast Defence and anti-aircraft communications. It also applied to administration services and training camps as well. The pamphlet is several hundred pages in length and for the most part would probably not be of interest to the radio historian.

Of  the material found in this manual, Appendix 'A' is the probably the most useful for research purposes since it has diagrams which show radio circuits, frequencies used and teletype networks for both the Atlantic and Pacific Army commands. Since all the diagrams were slightly larger than bed of a standard sized scanner, they were scanned in a tiled fashion then stitched together with Photoshop. It is hoped that these excerpts will provide some valuable knowledge about the state of the art of the Army's Canadian communication system in 1944.

A complete copy of the Policy and Regulations book scanned by Joe Costello of RC Sigs can be downloadedhere.

Jerry Proc
VE3FAB
E-mail: jerry.proc@sympatico.ca

DRAWING TITLES

All Commands - W/T and Teletype Circuits
Army Research and Development 1939 to 1945
Atlantic and Pacific Cables

Atlantic Command Landline Services
Atlantic Command Radio Circuits
Atlantic Command Route Plan

Pacific Command Landline Services
Pacific Command Radio Circuits
Pacific Command  Route Plan

Teletype Communications
Teletype System

The following list of radio equipment was complied from the two radio circuit diagrams. It is truly surprising how little commonality there was between the Pacific and Atlantic Army commands. Just look at the distribution of X's in the left and right  hand columns.
AC= Atlantic Command
PC= PAcific Command
 

RADIO EQUIPMENT USED BY THE CANADIAN ARMY IN CANADA 1944
AC PC
TRANSMITTERS    
Northern Electric 14C (need photo and specs) X  
Cdn Marconi TR800B (need photo and specs)  X  
LP-21 (need photo and specs)    X
Cdn Marconi  LP 200- PT1 (need photo and specs)  X X
Cdn Marconi 150PT3 (need photo and specs)  X  
Cdn Marconi 400C (need photo and specs)  X  
Cdn Marconi PV500L  - was a CW only unit operating in the frequency range of 100 to 500 kc. It had a rated power input of 500 watts and frequency control was by master oscillator only. (Photo courtesy RCN) X  
Cdn Marconi TR200/600 (need photo and specs)  X  
S.I.T.D 500C (L/W)  (need photo and specs)  X  
S.I.T.D M-15-F (need photo and specs)  X X
S.I.T.D M-20 (L/W) (need photo and specs)  X  
S.I.T.D M-21 (L/W) (need photo and specs)  X  
No. 3 Set was a mobile transmitter/receiver developed in 1934. Use: medium range communication . Frequency range 1.3-3.4 MHz. MO control. RF output 400W. Range (roof aerial) 25 miles R/T and 50 miles CW.(Photo and copy courtesy Wireless for the Warrior)  X  
30PT  (need photo and specs)    X
150T (need photo and specs)    X
250W FM (need photo and specs)    X
No 5. HP (need photo and specs)    X
No. 9 Set was a mobile transmitter/receiver developed in 1939. Use: medium range communication for AFV and Divisional Signals, vehicle station in truck and ground station. Frequency range 1.875-5MHz. MO/crystal control. RF output 5W/10W. R/T, MCW, CW. Range up to 35 miles. First really successful tank set. There was also a Canadian version of this set. (Photo and copy courtesy Wireless for the Warrior)  X X
Cdn Marconi 100 watt  4channel  (need photo and specs)    X
Cdn Marconi 1 KW (need photo and specs)    X
Western Electric 14C (need photo and specs)    X
ACS Commercial 4 channel (need photo and specs)    X
CSEE 500 CLW (need photo and specs)    X
Cdn Marconi CD12 Transmitter/Receiver (Army version of FR12). Modes - CW, MCW and Phone. Power input was 15 watts on CW, less on MCW and even less on phone.
Freq bands: Transmit - 375 to 580 kc or 1700 to 4200 kc depending on the model type. On low wave, the set had a range of about 20 miles. On receive, it was capable of continuous tuning from 300 to 4200 kc.
  X
43 transmitter.  - Not used by the Canadian Army in Canada in 1944. It is listed in this document for reference only. Suggested paring with VRL250  or RPA-3 receivers.     
RECEIVERS    
Bendix RG-2 (need photo and specs)  X  
Hammarlund Super Pro  0.1-40 MHz in 5 bands (Photo courtesty Wikipedia) X  
National HRO - 100 kHz to 30 MHz using plug-in coil sets. (Photo by Andre Guibert) X X
Howard 437A  - 540 kHz to 43 MHz. Circa 1941-42.  (Photo courtesy Fred Osterman N8EKU)  X  
Cdn Marconi CSR-2 (modified) - 1500 to 22,000 kHz (Photo by Ben Wallace, WB8HUR)   X
Cdn. Marconi CSR3 - Frequency range 175 - 550 KHz, 1.6 - 3.4 MHz, 3.5 - 7.5 MHz, 
7-16 MHz and 14 - 29 MHz. (Photo by Jerry Proc)
X X
Cdn. Marconi CSR4 - Frequency range unknown at this time.  (Photo credit - Dr. H . B . Sabean) X X
RCA AR88 -  Coverage - 535 kHz  to 32 MHz in six bands. 1941-45. (Photo courtesy Ray Robinson's Communications Museum)   X
National 88 XA   (need photo and specs)    X
Bendix MR-7  (need photo and specs)    X
Murphy R-106 (need photo and specs)    X
Hallicrafters SX-25 .1940 to 1946. Freq coverage 540 KHz  to 42 MHz in 4 bands. (Photo by Charlie's CQ Room K5MBX)    X
Hallicrafters SX-28 -  1940-1944. Freq range: 0.54 - 44 MHz in six bands.  (Photo courtesy Phil's Old Radios)    X
RCAF R-1082  - A 5 tube TRF  airborne receiver covering 111 kHz to 15 MHz. L 10.5" x W 11/5 " x D 9". Weight 14.5 lbs. Circa 1941.    X
General Electric FM90 (need photo and specs)    X
Cdn Marconi CD12 transmitter receiver (Army version of FR12).  Modes - CW, MCW and Phone. Power input was 15 watts on CW, less on MCW and even less on phone.
Freq bands: Transmit - 375 to 580 kc or 1700 to 4200 kc depending on the model type. On low wave, the set had a range of about 20 miles. On receive, it was capable of continuous tuning from 300 to 4200 kc. 
  X
CSEE Type R9 Receiver . Not  kmown if used by the Canadian Army  in the Pacific or Atlantic commands. ? ?

Table Notes:

S.I.T.D. = Signals Inspection and Test Department, a department of the Canadian Army. They built transmitters for the NWT &Y radio system.
 



Additional Credits and References:

1) Howard 437 photo  http://members.cox.net/n7rk/howard.htm
2) No 3 and 9 set photos . Wireless for the Warrior  http://home.wxs.nl/~meuls003/wireless/wireless.html
3) Super Pro photo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammarlund_Super_Pro
4) SX-28 photo http://www.antiqueradio.org/art/halli1266.jpg
5) SX-25 photo http://hug-a-bug.com/SX-25.html
6) AR-88 photo http://www.shlrc.mq.edu.au/~robinson/museum/ar88.html
7) Drawing enhancements by Chuck McGregor  <cbmcgr(at)gmail.com>
8) R1082 photo. Bruce MacMillan <radio(at)telus.net>
9) Larry Asp VE3RF, Hammond Radio Museum

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