Throat microphone use in WW2

[olympus]

On a separate thread (A very good military read) on the Military Forum I have mentioned 'Warlike Sketches 1939-1945' by Arrol Macfarlane in which the author recounts in some detail his life as a AOP pilot during the advance through Italy in WW2.

In the book there are a number of references to the use of the 'Larynga-phone'. Am I correct in assuming this is what I would call a throat-mike? Not that I had thought much about it but my impression had been that these were something the USAAF used in their bombers but not used in RAF/Army aviation in WW2.

Would the AOP pilot have routinely used a headset plus larynga-phone rather than a helmet/mask combination?

In 'Warlike Sketches' the author recounts a couple of incidents where, having taken up a non-aviator fellow officer, he was treated to the larynga-phone amplified sound of his colleagues noisily throwing-up as a result of flak-avoiding manoeuvres.

[megan]

We were equipped with British helmets and throat mikes up to 1975 when I left the service (Australia - flying helos). So I would assume it was a well used item in the British services.

[KelvinD]

When I was in the Royal Signals in the 1960s we still had throat microphone kits left over from WW2. Bloody uncomfortable they were too with the mike stuck on a piece of standard Army issue webbing that went around the neck.

[chevvron]

I last used a throat mike when flying in a Wessex at Farnborough in the late '70s.

[ShyTorque]

They were in use in Whirlwind 10 at 2FTS, Shawbury until the aircraft type was replaced by the Gazelle.

[Fareastdriver]

The RAF used throat mikes because they wouldn't flash out on noise cancelling boom mikes. Eventually they were forced to by the high ambient noise of the Puma in or about 1973.

[noflynomore]

RN used them on SeaKings in mid '80s. Horribly uncomfortable things.

[wrecker]

Used them on chipmunks in early mid 60s

[VX275]

The wartime AOP pilots were mostly Royal Artillery Officers and there are plenty of photos showing them flying Austers with a headset over their SD hat.

[ONE GREEN AND HOPING]

Still have a throat mike in a box of junk in the loft. First used a couple from a war surplus shop near Leicester Square when at school, as cheap experimental guitar amp pick-ups. Used one briefly when flying chipmunks and Austers at Elstree @ 1961/2 with large padded earphones, but soon swapped to trad leather helmet with comfy shami leather lining plus mask for mike....all from that same shop. Much later, a colleague, briefly before joining Caledonian, used a throat mike when 'freelancing' on Mig 17s in Africa....sort of a quaint match for the bits of canvas showing through the tyres that he mentioned..

[megan]

sort of a quaint match for the bits of canvas showing through the tyres that he mentioned..Seems to be a feature of Soviet tyre construction, presuming we weren't fed a line. We had a Mig 29 visiting Oz for an airshow, and canvas was evident, and were told "that's normal". Admit was not a good look to western eyes.

[Herod]

Somewhere in the loft I still have a couple. I think the old "matchbox" type and certainly the later "button" ones.

[Cornish Jack]

The ones we used at first on Whirlwind S&R were ex tank crew mics. When I turned up for pre-course briefing at 22 HQ the instruction included "Go to xxxxx's in Soho (Government Surplus dealer) and buy a throat mic" Did this and it was rewired for aircraft use by the S'quippers at Valley. Some time elapsed before we were issued with the 'button' jobs.

[dduxbury310]

The RNZAF in the South-West Pacific theatre later in WW2 used a lot of standard US Navy (and sometimes USAAF) flying gear, including throat mikes. I have seen the official instructions for using these items, and the equipment itself was designated with an ANB number (ANB = Army - Navy - British), an extension of the AN joint-service system for standardised equipment. The throat mikes were used mostly by fighter pilots, but also later by PV-1 crews, in association with the large, spring-steel headband-type earphones. For aircrew who did not have to continually breathe oxygen, this combination was a lot more comfortable than the traditional oxygen mask and helmet wired with earphones. I have seen photos of RNZAF Corsair pilots late in the war wearing an American fatigue cap (made from HBT), with large earphones and throat mike, apparently ideal for fighter-bomber duties below 15,000 feet. As has already been pointed out, throat mikes also rapidly became standard for armoured fighting vehicles, certainly with the Americans and Russians, and this was in WW2 as well. This was presumably because of the very limited room inside such vehicles, and tucked under your chin the throat mikes were well out of the way should you have to move vigorously around the interior without accidentally snagging any of the interior equipment. There are also some excellent colour photos of trainee USAAF pilots in P-40s wearing similar rigs in 1944 to be found in books such as Jeff Ethell's volumes, complete with caps, and sprung-headband earphones, and slid back canopies - probably in the mainland southwest, and real warm!

[diginagain]

The AAC had them on general issue for use with the Mk3 helmet, ostensibly for the occasion when we would be wearing the S6 respirator.

[ShyTorque]

That brings back memories! I was required to learn how to fly the Puma at night (or rather, attempt to), using the S6 respirator and PNG. One of the most frightening things I've ever had to do in training. Especially when the S6 misted up.....

[John Eacott]

The throat mike was standard for all RN helicopter crews through the 60s and 70s, very much because of the ambient noise issues: especially for the crew when operating out of the door for winching, sling loading, landing clearance, etc. The use of the boom mike and a hot intercom rendered speech unintelligible for all on board once the wind got its say!

The ear also had to attune to the vagaries of throat speech, which has significant differences to (for instance) the aluminium death tube drivers talking into their mask or Flyco into the ships system through a boom mike. A throat mike tends to be quite muffled and the high frequencies aren't always picked up, so commonality is a desired feature in order for all crews to understand each other.

Mind you, I had a doctors chit for a boom mike on my Mk 2A which caused all sorts of issues. A story for another day.

[VX275]

Throat mikes were used for cadet / instructor intercom by the Air Cadets in the Venture motor glider. We instructors got very good at identifying the onset of air sickness in our cadet passengers (a good instructor could recognise the signs before the cadet!) and whilst being in close proximity to someone filling a Bag - Air Sickness is not exactly pleasant, listening to someone vomiting amplified by throat mikes is a once heard, never again, experience. This is where the skill of the instructor came in, at the first sign of the cadet feeling unwell we instructors would throw our headsets onto the shelf behind us and simultaneously turning the aircraft towards the airfield.
The later headsets with boom mikes were better, but we had to ensure that the cadet removed the mike 'out of the line of fire' if they felt unwell.

[olympus]

All interesting replies, thanks guys. It seems throat mike usage was much more extensive than I had imagined. Was 'larynga-phone' (as mentioned in the original post) a brand name?

As young teenagers, my mate Dave and I would go to the local park armed with military surplus headphones and throat mikes and see if we could talk to each other using the wire fence around the park as the circuit - him at one end and me at the other. We could, but it got better when we managed to acquire a couple of sets of tank crew headphones and hand mikes (the ones with the conical rubber mouthpiece and pressel switch on the side) and reception got better still when we cobbled together an amplifier and introduced that into the circuit. (There was a lot of military surplus radio gear available in those days [mid 50s] and we were always down the local surplus store to see if anything new was in!)

The start of a lifelong interest in radio and telecoms/electronics generally!

[Molemot]

Russian tyres....a typically simple explanation of the canvas showing through. The tyres remains serviceable with up to 3 layers of canvas visible (iirc)...4 layers and you have to change them. No measuring or guesswork or complicated inspections!! That was on a MiG 15, but I assume they still work the same way.

[Fareastdriver]

They do that on 747s. The put new layers of canvas on every time they remould the tyre. It used to be a joke years ago that tyres were good for four remoulds; then an Asian airline would buy them and run them for a few more.

[Judd]

In 1953 one of our Lincoln pilots used a throat mike. As his co-pilot I could not understand him half the time. He was continually pressing it hard against his throat in an effort to make his speech more easy to understand. Not a very successful device with four RR Merlins bellowing a few feet away

[albatross]

If you search utube twelve o'clock high ..the tv series..they use throat mikes a lot.
Gotta luv how they drop bombs from 20000ft plus with their oxygen masks pulled down..well I guess we need to see the actors acting.

[longer ron]

All interesting replies, thanks guys. It seems throat mike usage was much more extensive than I had imagined. Was 'larynga-phone' (as mentioned in the original post) a brand name?



Sorry a bit late to answer this question Olympus ( this thread popped up whilst looking for something else),Laryngaphone is named because it picks up on the vibrations etc directly from the Larynx.As worn (uncomfortably) by many groundcrew on headsets etc (as well as many lucky aircrew).

[Cornish Jack]

On posting to S&R training in the mid 60s, I was told to go to one of the war surplus shops in Soho and buy an ex Army tank crew throat mic (7/6 -- seven shillings and sixpence). This was handed to the s'quippers to change the connector to aircraft type. Our generous masters eventually organised the replacement with the button types. Clear annunciation was the order of the day but, even so, the quality was akin to mumbling with a mouthful of beans!. I assume, (memory fails!) that for the short period in the 50s when I was on Sycamore S&R, we used normal oxy mask mics.

[Shackman]

Like many others here I had the 'delight' of using throat mikes on both Whirlwind and Wessex up to the end of the 70's - it was only once the fully fitted bone dome (Mk 3 IIRC) came in to use that a boom mike could be fitted anyway; up until then the old Mk 1 combination - grey helmet on top of grey cloth inner - was not suitable for anything other than an oxygen mask or the throat mike anyway. I must admit I also hated wearing the thing, and always had a sore throat after use.
The other problem with them was that they were permanently on (no muting on either aircraft) so you got to hear everything that everyone else was doing; the only real advantage was that the wind noise from flying with open windows and doors was relatively muted. The biggest problem was the odd passenger (or crew) being airsick. I leave that for those who haven't heard it to imagine!!

[teeteringhead]

The biggest problem was the odd passenger (or crew) being airsick. I leave that for those who haven't heard it to imagine!! Being sick in an oxygen mask sounded pretty appalling too Shackers.

[Shackman]

But at least you could turn the mic off first. Unfortunately the spray effect out either side was still pretty amazing.

[Loose rivets]

This is my type. Memories again. I recall I ended up with no metal strip in one of the pair. I snapped a distributor points file to the right length and used it for a couple of years.. You had to hold the mics to your throat with finger and thumb every time you transmitted.


A Colchester scrap dealer had piles of O2 masks wit mics as well. All unused. Needed for the cold in Tigers.


https://picclick.com/WWII-British-Military-Radio-Throat-Microphone-MTLNo2-MKII-401434491363.html

[Capt Kremmen]

Used throat mics at Biggin on Chipmunks in 1962.

[old,not bold]

To add my two-penn'orth; my Prentice, when I bought it for £700 st Sywell in 1967, came with the original RAF 4-channel valve VHF, together with what I assumed was an original RAF throat mic. I borrowed an fabric hat with integral earphones liberated by a RAF friend. I suppose there must have been 2 jack sockets, mic and earphones, for each seat somewhere, but I have no recollection where. The throat mic worked OK, but after two or thee hours it got very uncomfortable, because it had to be tight to work.

[Loose rivets]

Hence the finger and thumb method while transmitting. Loose the rest of the time. Bit late telling you now. ;-)

I think those huge brass and Bakalite plugs should be reintroduced, though might increase the ZFW a tad.

[Expressflight]

I remember wearing a throat mic flying with Alan Hilton in his Prentice G-AOLK around 1980 and very uncomfortable it was too.

[newty74]

Seems like these old ww2 items are coming back - me and several pilots talking among ourselves about using throat mics again - wearing masks muffles our speaking a lot - seems like throat mics will be useful again.

[bobward]

Throat mikes were used on Bristow' Wessii out of Great Yarmouth in the mid-1970's.
This was when they didn't have cabin attendants either.

[Mooncrest]

Throat microphones used to be available as an optional accessory on the Peltor groundcrew headsets. I saw a British Airways bod using one when standing underneath a Concorde at LBA some years back.

[diginagain]

Issued a throat-mike in 82 at the start of aircrerewman training for use on the Mk3 bonedome in the event of a boom-mike failure or when flying in an S6 Respirator. Tried using it once, after-which I acquired a spare boom-mike.