Author Topic: Replica TAC plates  (Read 41392 times)

Offline Diana Alan

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Re: Replica TAC plates
« Reply #60 on: July 25, 2013, 02:32:17 PM »
Hi Mick

Learning more every day!  :)

If the sigs det had their own FFR with the serial of the Sig Sqn over the Sigs tac colours (white over dark blue).  Would that apply to all FFR, or could FFR with the radio kit fitted (FWR) be allocated to other units and not be part of a sigs sqn or sigs det? e.g. the signallers in an infantry company, would have an FFR?

I ask this because my SIII FFR has one tac sign holder that seems to be painted all blue (top and bottom), so engineers not sigs and the vehicle has in-service evidence of being fitted with the antenna mounts for HF antennae (either AN-106 or the AWA F3 HF radios), so was FWR in-service.

Diana
« Last Edit: July 25, 2013, 04:21:16 PM by Diana Alan »
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Offline zulu delta 534

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Re: Replica TAC plates
« Reply #61 on: July 25, 2013, 06:25:10 PM »
This is one of two FFRs  that we had in Innisfail in 1964 with 6TTU. Note the Tac signs are not R Aust Sigs. The radio ops on both these vehicles were RAASC personnel (one of them was a real nice bloke!)
We carried a variety of radios in the back to enable us to communicate with base, C11 R210 for A vehicles as well as B 47? for the B vehicles.
There was an R Aust Sigs "Tech Sig" posted to the Unit and his main responsibility was to maintain the batteries.
The thick scrub up there played havoc with general comms hence the "home made" extension up the tree to the standard whip antenna.


Had a lot of fun playing with the 12th multiple rule on these sets (transmitting on, for example, 3 megs and receiving the transmission on a 12 multiple of that frequency (36 meg). Worked well with a transistor radio set up (off common broadcast frequency) on the footpath and a voice transmission made from a hidden FFR would startle many an unsuspecting passer by.
There is also a lesson in the above photograph concerning what fungus will do to a Kodachrome slide in a tropical climate.
Regards
Glen

Offline Carzee

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Re: Replica TAC plates
« Reply #62 on: July 25, 2013, 08:36:31 PM »
Hi Glan, its still a good photo, the X means a ADE trial task or something like that, doesn't it?
I have some family slides that are from the 70s and they are starting to go.

Offline Diana Alan

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Re: Replica TAC plates
« Reply #63 on: July 25, 2013, 10:11:00 PM »
Hi Glan, its still a good photo, the X means a ADE trial task or something like that, doesn't it?
I have some family slides that are from the 70s and they are starting to go.
X means eXperimental branch.  One of the many names it had over the years.
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Offline Mick

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Re: Replica TAC plates
« Reply #64 on: July 25, 2013, 11:43:30 PM »
Hi Diana,

Every unit in the brigade would have FFR's, in an infantry unit ( my background is infantry) each Rifle coy has 2 land rovers 1GS , 1FFR.  BHQ would have 3 or 4 FFR's, one for command net, admin net, and CO. Sig platoon maintains these vehicles and supplies sigs and sig equipment.  A sig det from sig platoon would also be attached to each company and deploy in the company FFR. In support coy each platoon would have an FFR ,GS or both. Admin coy would also have an FFR and a sig det from Sig Platoon.

As said earlier the sig Sqn would provide a FFR with 3 sig's , one being a corporal det commander to Battalion HQ to provide communications back to Brigade HQ.

Engineers, would have a FFR at their HQ's and would have FFR's though out the unit, they would also have support from the Bridage sig sqn.

Offline Diana Alan

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Re: Replica TAC plates
« Reply #65 on: July 26, 2013, 12:04:28 AM »
Hi Diana,

Every unit in the brigade would have FFR's, in an infantry unit ( my background is infantry) each Rifle coy has 2 land rovers 1GS , 1FFR.  BHQ would have 3 or 4 FFR's, one for command net, admin net, and CO. Sig platoon maintains these vehicles and supplies sigs and sig equipment.  A sig det from sig platoon would also be attached to each company and deploy in the company FFR. In support coy each platoon would have an FFR ,GS or both. Admin coy would also have an FFR and a sig det from Sig Platoon.

As said earlier the sig Sqn would provide a FFR with 3 sig's , one being a corporal det commander to Battalion HQ to provide communications back to Brigade HQ.

Engineers, would have a FFR at their HQ's and would have FFR's though out the unit, they would also have support from the Bridage sig sqn.
So I'm understanding that my FFR could well have been a RAE FFR vehicle, with engineers tac etc?

Good thing I'm a volly at the engineers museum then.  Guess I'll have to make up some blue 17/292 tac signs if I can't identify any actual numbers painted directly onto the holder.
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Offline Mick

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Re: Replica TAC plates
« Reply #66 on: July 26, 2013, 12:17:58 AM »
Hi Diana,

Exactly, every unit within the Brigade would have a number of FFR's on their establishment.


Mick

mzungumagic

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Re: Replica TAC plates
« Reply #67 on: July 26, 2013, 09:37:16 AM »
Hi Diana,

Every unit in the brigade would have FFR's, in an infantry unit ( my background is infantry) each Rifle coy has 2 land rovers 1GS , 1FFR.  BHQ would have 3 or 4 FFR's, one for command net, admin net, and CO. Sig platoon maintains these vehicles and supplies sigs and sig equipment.  A sig det from sig platoon would also be attached to each company and deploy in the company FFR. In support coy each platoon would have an FFR ,GS or both. Admin coy would also have an FFR and a sig det from Sig Platoon.

As said earlier the sig Sqn would provide a FFR with 3 sig's , one being a corporal det commander to Battalion HQ to provide communications back to Brigade HQ.

Engineers, would have a FFR at their HQ's and would have FFR's though out the unit, they would also have support from the Bridage sig sqn.

Mick,

My infantry experience from (perhaps) an earlier time, is different.  Company signallers from the Sig Pl would not have FFRs.  They would deploy with a rifle company on foot, like the rest of us and carry everything they needed for a period of say three to five days, till they were resupplied.

The Sig det from the Brigade Sig Sqn was different - they had vehicles.

As a matter of some interest perhaps, the rule of thumb is that the higher HQ supplied the communications to the lower unit.

Things may well be different nowadays, but that was the modus operandi in dismounted infantry units, from the early 70s to the mid 90s.


Jack

Offline Mick

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Re: Replica TAC plates
« Reply #68 on: July 26, 2013, 02:19:59 PM »
G'day Jack,

Your right when the battalion deployed on foot Sig platoon sig's would be man packing radio's , I was trying to explain the vehicle establishment of a battalion and support from the brigade sig det and unit tac signs.

I was attempting to get across just because it was an FFR doesn't mean it was from a sig unit. You don't remember ech rifle coy having a OC's land rover (FFR) and the CQMS land rover (GS) ?

Cheers
Mick

mzungumagic

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Re: Replica TAC plates
« Reply #69 on: July 26, 2013, 04:29:28 PM »
No, Mick - back in the middle 80s, I was a company commander in 3 RAR - the only veh we had was the CQ's !

I used to enjoy seeing it though, along with the rest of the company - it generally had the hot meals !

All the best, mate.



Jack

Offline Mick

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Re: Replica TAC plates
« Reply #70 on: July 26, 2013, 06:10:51 PM »
That's interesting Jack,

I was in the " Big Blue One" and our OC's had a FFR.  Great to know there's a few from the RAR out there.

Cheers mate,

Mick

Offline Diana Alan

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Re: Replica TAC plates
« Reply #71 on: July 26, 2013, 08:49:39 PM »
It gets confusing, it seems to me that many FFR were never fitted with the radios and were used much like regular Rovers.

With mine it seems to have been fitted with a full set of radio kit including HF antenna using the brackets usually fitted to armoured vehicles.



From that perspective it would appear to have been a sigs Rover, but the tac holder painted all blue would suggest Sappers.  Not discounting the possibility it could have been with two different units during its life.

Diana
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Offline Phoenix

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Re: Replica TAC plates
« Reply #72 on: July 27, 2013, 11:51:16 AM »
I know a chap that is in my local club who is ex artillery and used the 2a FFT's (and has one in fact).  His comment about that was that he remembers there being 2 types that they referd to.  Fitted For Radio and Fitted With radio.  Some had radios in them all the time, others could have them put in if they ieeded to, but otherwise were regular units.  Seems to fit with what we are seeing about the place.
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Offline aussiegregmac

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Re: Replica TAC plates
« Reply #73 on: July 27, 2013, 11:56:11 AM »
In a way just a confusing term for a FFR that didn't have the gear fitted.  No difference between the vehicles.
I think something that crept in but didn't really mean anything.
1942 C15 Blitz RadioVan 42-CMP "The PieVan"
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Offline Phoenix

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Re: Replica TAC plates
« Reply #74 on: July 29, 2013, 11:02:59 AM »
In a way just a confusing term for a FFR that didn't have the gear fitted.  No difference between the vehicles.
I think something that crept in but didn't really mean anything.
Yes its only when they are Fitted WITH Radio (FWR) that it becomes a sigs vehicle, until that happens its merely a Land Rover with dual 12V and 24V electrical systems.

What a load of rubbish. How about doing some research before posting such fantasy as fact.

PJ

Echelon where did that come from?  Diana was simply postulating on the information that we were discussing.   If you have something constructive to include please do, but simply shooting the person for making a suggestion is not acceptable.
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