The Wireless Set No. 22, commonly known as the WS22, was a British Army short-wave radio transmitter and receiver introduced during the Second World War, around 1942. Unfortunately, I never owned one. I was a teenager back in the 1960s so I didn’t have a great deal of money to spend on army surplus radio equipment.
It was a versatile, low-powered communications set designed for use by infantry, artillery units and mobile headquarters. Manufactured by Pye Ltd and Philips, it became an important part of British Army communications during the war and remained in service into the 1950s.
Technical specifications
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Designation | Wireless Set No. 22 |
| Country | Great Britain |
| Introduced | 1942 |
| Frequency coverage | 2–8 MHz |
| Band 1 | 2–4.5 MHz |
| Band 2 | 4.5–8 MHz |
| Communication | AM speech (R/T) and Morse (CW) |
| Transmitter power | Approximately 1 watt speech, 1.5 watts CW |
The WS22 was an all-valve radio housed in a robust steel cabinet. It combined a transmitter and receiver in one unit. Its receiver employed a conventional superheterodyne circuit with an RF amplifier, mixer, local oscillator, two IF amplifier stages, detector and audio amplifier. A beat-frequency oscillator allowed Morse signals to be received.
The transmitter used a master oscillator, driver stages and a valve output stage. An internal aerial tuning arrangement allowed the operator to match the transmitter to various aerials.
Power came from an external vibrator unit, which converted the 12V battery supply into approximately 300V DC for the valve circuits. One characteristic of the WS22 is its distinctive front panel, with two large tuning controls and several smaller switches for adjusting the aerial, transmitter and receiver.
Military service
The WS22 was designed to be more flexible than the Wireless Set No. 19, which was primarily associated with armoured vehicles.
The No. 22 could be operated in several configurations:
- Vehicle mounted: Used in soft-skinned military vehicles.
- Manpack: Divided into loads carried by three soldiers.
- Animal transport: Special arrangements enabled it to be carried by pack animals.
- Field station: Operated from a stationary position using suitable aerials.
- Handcart mounted: Transported as a mobile communications station.
It was particularly useful where voice and Morse communication were required without the size and electrical demands of a more powerful radio.
The radio remained in British Army service after 1945, eventually giving way to newer equipment, including the Wireless Set No. 62.
The WS22 compared with the WS19
| Feature | WS22 | WS19 |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | General-purpose field radio | Armoured vehicle radio |
| HF coverage | 2–8 MHz | Approximately 2–8 MHz |
| HF output | 1–1.5W | Around 1.5–2.5W on AM speech |
| VHF communication set | No | Yes, B set |
| Manpack capability | Yes | Not normally |
| Vehicle operation | Yes | Yes |
The WS22 offered greater flexibility for portable and field operations.
Does anyone have any photos of the WS22 set that I could use on my website?