Fitted For Wireless

The actual sets themselves could be installed later, if a new radio vehicle was required owing to damage or breakdown.

FFW was the first term to be used and was applied to radio vehicles during World War II.

A typical radio vehicle at this period would be a Bedford MW light truck of 8cwt or 15cwt capacity.

Some vehicles were fitted with additional radio charging dynamos driven from a gearbox PTO.

[2] Most radio use would be made when established as a temporary headquarters with long-wire aerials rigged, in which case the generator set would be used dismounted.

After World War II, FFW configurations were produced for the Jeep,[3][4] Austin Champ[4] and Land Rover.

[5] The Austin Champ was provided with a high-output generator and shielded ignition system from the outset, and was also built in a dedicated FFW version from 1954.

Larger vehicles, such as the Austin K9 1-ton[6] the Humber FV1600 series 1-ton or the 3-ton Bedford RL[7] had a less rigid installation.

The generator had an internal two-speed automatic gearbox, which increased the charging rate when the engine was running at near-idling speed.

However it soon became clear that this was insufficient to meet the demands of the new sets and higher output systems based on alternators were later introduced.

Some FFR vehicles were supplied for specialised use (for example to the Royal Artillery) where non-standard radio equipment was to be fitted immediately, by unit workshops.

The standard dynamo generator was initially replaced by a 40 Amp alternator with external rectifier stack mounted in front of the radiator for cooling giving the vehicle a distinctive appearance seen from the front of the vehicle, behind the radiator grille.