WWII WIRELESS SET No 38 MK2, 1941

Using a separate battery pack this radio could be carried by one man. Not the first true man pack; the WS No13 man pack in 1937 pre-dated it but was not so successful. It was designed by Murphy Radio.

Range is half a mile with a 4 foot rod aerial, 2 miles using a 12 foot rod. It was supplied with headset and throat microphone.

• Detailed view of the Radio
  

Your comments:

• Not related to the radio but a memory of Job Stocks. As a teenager in the 1960's a Saturday morning visit to Jobstocks was an absolute MUST.
  On one occasion we purchased for a few shillings an ex WD fire-fighters asbestos suit. We hauled it back to Seymour Rd in Chingford and made a cunning plan. One evening we parked at High Beach approaching midnight. My chum crawled down in to the valley and at the stroke of midnight appeared in a ghostly white suit which must have been some seven feet tall. Much hustle and bustle, revving of engines and hasty departures by lovers in their Zodiacs, Vanguards, TR2's and what have you.
  
  The police turned up in a black maria and after some time made light of it !
  .......... David Morris, Hertford, 18th of March 2018
  
  
• My pal Peter Fox, who lived on other side of road to me in West Wickham Kent, and myself purchased two 38 sets from Relda Radio in London, I think it was Lisle Street. We were kids at school and the 32 shillings and six pence broke both our piggy banks but they were worth every penny. Not then knowing anything about Shannon air radio weather reports or the phonetic alphabet presented us with a problem, Where was Quebec November Hotel? QNH is code for air pressure at air field. We rode about the countryside on our bicycles chatting away until one day we were stopped outside an unknown and isolated building that turned out to be an experimental establishment developing the then new police mobile radio system and we were jamming it! Ooops, we got let off providing we stopped transmission.The big problem for us was replacing the 120 volt HT battery which cost fourteen shillings and six pence. There is a pair of 38 sets in my collection still working!
  .......... Bob Smallbone, Bognor Regis, Sussex, UK. , 7th of October 2016
  
  
• Lovely to hear the name 'Job Stocks'. My late grandfather 'Francis Brooks' was the owner of Job Stocks in St Mary's Road, Walthamstow. Unfortunately, he died before I was born, but I still hear stories about his shop even now.
  
  Best Regards
  
  David Turner (M0DJT)
  .......... David Turner, London, 22nd of July 2016
  
  
• I got mine from Job Stocks too. However I got the 38 set AFV version, which included a box that ran on 12v DC, and had a vibrator and transformer to up it to 120V. It was for fitting in tanks so they could talk to infantry using the man-portable 38 set, and the power box also had an amplifier, perhaps so you could hear it over the noise of the vehicle.
  
  It fitted in the stowage bins in the side of the old Mini car. Several of my school chums got them as well.
  
  Job Stocks also sold army surplus spare valves, and the metal boxes, with foam rubber dividers, for these sets. I still have some of these boxes in the garage, with small tools in. The rubber has now perished and gone sticky.
  .......... John Duncan, Near Chichester, England, 2nd of September 2015
  
  
• My father bought me a pair of these EX. W.D. "walkie-talkies" from Stuarts Radio of Blackpool in circa 1956. They were in a canvas back pack and came with approx. six 3' long copper rods each tapering to connect and form an 18' whip aerial. An Ever-Ready 120 volt dry battery powered the radio whilst two 1.5 volt Accumulator batteries supplied 3 volts to power the Valve heaters. The range achievable by today's standards was not too good. I made a base "Station" at Home with the radio connected to a random length of copper wire, then, setting off on my bicycle, I was able to hear the Base Station 3 miles away but only from high ground. The signal disappeared completely as I dropped into the valley and amongst the houses.
  .......... Ian Brooks., Burnley, Lancashire. England., 29th of January 2015
  
  
• I bought two of these with a pal from Job Stocks army surplus in Walthamstow in 1963 with the idea of using them at home in Devon. Never did use them I still have mine in the attic together with an ariel throat mike and junction box.
  .......... Peter Reveley, Appledore Devon, 21st of January 2013
  
  
• As usual late 50s school boy. Experimenting with pal who also had one.
  My memory is of an incredibly sensitive rx.
  .......... G3NBY, Manchester, 18th of October 2012
  
  
• I had two No.38 sets with all extras as shown except the webbing.My sister was a young trainee nurse in England in 1959 and I asked her
  to bring these sets back to Ireland in a suitcase.
  
  I remember that distinctive smell of lacquer inside and the compact layout was unique.A Catholic priest in my home town had two and that was my first introduction to the No.38 set.
  
  The No.38 set was part of my youth and it has a special place in my memory as I developed an interest and a career in electronics.To carry two No.38s in a suitcase from England was a tall order and I am glad there is still time to thank my sister again for doing this for me.
  .......... Oliver Smyth, Kells, County Meath, Southern Ireland., 12th of October 2012
  
  
• Bought 2 during my teens from an ad in Practical Wireless. Had to improvise batteries, but they worked OK, and most domestic sets with short wave could receive the signals. Recently bought one on E-bay and got it working again without much effort!
  .......... Nick Wilson, Solvang, California, USA, 24th of January 2011
  
  
• I bought 2 of these 50+ years ago, probably through Exchange and Mart, maybe from Pride and Clarke and made my brother wander off round the local streets lugging the heavy 120v battery calling back to me at home. I also used it to scan the short wave over 7.4-9MHZ.
  .......... David Pitt, Malvern, 1st of November 2010
  
  
• I bought one of these for 32 when I was about 12 (51 years ago!) from an advert in Wireless World I think, and still have it. It came with throat mike and aerial is slotted together copper rods. Unfortunately the huge battery supplied with it was virtually flat but enough to enable me to listen to a Morse signal and lots of crackles - goodness knows where from - fascinating for a lad!
  .......... Mark Earl, Stoke on Trent, UK., 7th of November 2009
  
  
• I remember in the 50s boys walking with these around the playing field
  behind my school, Hertford Grammar( now Richard Hale ).
  There was an armoury under the school and a building housing a radio station using a T1154 and 1155 set-up.
  .......... Russell King, Ware Hertfordshire uk, 21st of September 2009
  
  

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