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Two unknown fuzes (at lease to me) . Please help.

A

Andy Naude

Well-Known Member
Received these two fuzes. Please help me identify them. Both have, what appears to be white nylon tips.

The first is marked :

N97 ooo MK 5 ooo MOD 1

E.M.I. 12/64 LOT 66 T (Broad Arrow)


IMG_0055.JPG

The second is marked:

N98 MK4 MOD2

TG Co / SR 11/57 LOT x16 (Broad Arrow)

IMG_0056.JPG

Do the colours have any reference and what are they and for which calibre were they used?
 
They are both Proximity fuzes. The 'N' prefix to the number denotes there are a Navy (Royal Navy) store. The two sets of three circles on the first fuze, I believe are ment to be contiguous circles, which would indicate the fuze had a Unified thread. Ordnance wise, in the early sixties the UK was transtitioning from Whitworth thread form to Unified thread form.

The first fuze was manufactured by E.M.I. (Electrical & Musical Industries Ltd) of Hayes, the second T.G. The Gramophone Company of Hayes. However, The Gramophone Company had merged with The Columbia Graphophone (that's not a typo) Company in 1931 to form EMI, so the fuzes were made by the same company.

The second fuze was filled by SR - ROF Spennymoor. This I find slightly odd as in WWII Spennymoor made SAA cases that shipped to ROF Aycliffe for filling. It is possible that post war they diversfied.

On the second fuze, the purple band beneath the cap might indicate that it was experimental.

TimG
 
Andy,

They are both Naval proximity fuzes made by EMI Ltd who ran an agency factory on behalf of the Ministry of Supply and Ministry of Defence. Electric and Musical Industries Ltd also used the monogram TGCo which decoded as The Gramophone Company. The SR bit is for Springfield Road which is the location of the factory in Hayes Middlesex (near Heathrow). Long since closed. I worked there in the Research Lab during my apprenticeship and, under the tutelage of the senior engineer, I designed the self-destruct circuit for the N97 - it was my only claim to fame (and might explain why so many survived!!!).

The N97 was capable of Controlled Variable Time (CVT) and Timed Variable Time (TVT) which I think I have explained briefly in another thread. A typical use would be for the 4.5 inch gun (automatic or otherwise).

The white tips provide a weatherproof cover for the aerial.
 
Apologies Tim, it takes me forever to type a paragraph, hence the duplication (well, almost).
 
Bonnex,

Thank you for your explanation of SR. I couldn't understand why Spennymoor would have any dealings with it.

TimG
 
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