1938 Ivory Diakon GPO 332 UK phone

..... · January 04, 2019, 12:29:32 PM

The information that has been passed on to me from the UK forum is that it isn't a 1938, but a 1940 and the body is Diakon.

FABphones · January 04, 2019, 06:04:01 PM

Thanks for the update photos. Just my opinion from looking at the pics:

Replacement feet.
CB stamp meaning the phone was not issued with a dial, so the dial is a later addition. This would account for why it has a #12 dial.
Lots of dates, not unusual as during its lifetime parts will have failed and been replaced.
'PL' is Plessey, Ilford, Essex.
No GPO or 'Batch Sampled' stamps to base.
The phone is date stamped 1940, the handset 1938.
The handset looks to me to be a slightly different shade of ivory so I don't think is original to the body of phone, the dates confirm this.
The handset cord should be fabric, braided, and off white/cream in colour.

Any parts swapped out or added may have been done during its lifetime with the GPO or afterwards when in private hands. There is no sure way to know, although the handset cord I would say was not changed out by the GPO. That said, some engineers were better than others, also, if a phone was to remain in service often it was a case of what was in the van.

Re the Diakon feedback you are receiving, that is unusual to me, may I ask what site you are getting that info from? I am always keen to learn and I can't see anywhere in my reading where Diakon is referenced to that model of phone in the date span of your 332.

I look forward to seeing pics of it when your replacement parts arrive and you have tidied it up. A nice addition and it will look good next to your black version.

..... · January 04, 2019, 07:12:24 PM

Quote from: FABphones on January 04, 2019, 06:04:01 PM
Thanks for the update photos. Just my opinion from looking at the pics:

Re the Diakon feedback you are receiving, that is unusual to me, may I ask what site you are getting that info from? I am always keen to learn and I can't see anywhere in my reading where Diakon is referenced to that model of phone in the date span of your 332.

I look forward to seeing pics of it when your replacement parts arrive and you have tidied it up. A nice addition and it will look good next to your black version.

I got the Diakon info from a member of the Telecommunications Heritage Group on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TelecommunicationsHeritageGroup/

From FB "Neil Carpenter. ok good and bad news. All original Siemens 332 and as we thought the dial was added later as this was issued as a CB model without a dial fitted. The bad news is it's not 1937 or 38. I think the handset is correct and to remake them marked 1940 in war time would not have been excepted. As we thought marked Diakon and a nice find."

Here are some pictures cleaned up and waiting for the new parts to arrive.

CDN Doug

HarrySmith · January 04, 2019, 08:05:13 PM

Cleaned up nicely. Are you going to attempt a repair on the drawer?

..... · January 04, 2019, 08:25:35 PM

Quote from: HarrySmith on January 04, 2019, 08:05:13 PM
Cleaned up nicely. Are you going to attempt a repair on the drawer?

Harry, I ordered replacement parts Drawer front, braided handset cord and feet for the phone from the UK. Free shipping in the UK.
My brother in law lives in Northern Ireland, So I had them shipped there and he will repack them and ship to me Airmail.
I'll save a few dollars that way.

tubaman · January 05, 2019, 05:46:35 AM

That handset cord (with the string ties?) is likely a GPO one and could have been a field replacement, although not usually in black for an ivory phone!
I'd keep hold of it as they are not that easy to find.
Nice phone - well done!

..... · January 05, 2019, 06:18:57 AM

Quote from: tubaman on January 05, 2019, 05:46:35 AM
That handset cord (with the string ties?) is likely a GPO one and could have been a field replacement, although not usually in black for an ivory phone!
I'd keep hold of it as they are not that easy to find.
Nice phone - well done!

Thanks

Here are a couple pictures of the ID tag on the cord.

tubaman · January 05, 2019, 07:26:51 AM

Yep, a GPO one as suspected.
Probably a case of a phone needing a cord and that is what was on the van at the time!
Don't be too disappointed that your phone doesn't have matching dates as they would often be refurbished a number of times and the parts are often very mixed-up indeed.

FABphones · January 05, 2019, 08:48:11 AM

Quote from: Duffy on January 04, 2019, 07:12:24 PM
....ok good and bad news. All original Siemens 332 and as we thought the dial was added later as this was issued as a CB model without a dial fitted. The bad news is it's not 1937 or 38. I think the handset is correct and to remake them marked 1940 in war time would not have been excepted. As we thought marked Diakon and a nice find."

As tubaman says, keep a hold of the black handset cord. I have a couple of these older chunky versions in my spares box and they do come in useful.

As your source says, it is the correct handset for that model, but I think that one may have been made earlier than the body of the phone. Any parts still in the stores from the 200 series would have been used. Or of course it could have been changed out later. I have a couple of these earlier handsets in my spares box.

Your source says not a 38/39 phone, did they suggest a date (mine are mid 50s). Either way still a nice find.

My ivory three button version had a curly cord when I found it. It was still in service at the time of replacement, so the engineer at the time clearly had the right colour on the van. Even in ivory, still not a good look so, like you, I changed it out.

Re the markings, I saw the Siemens mark but which one is the Diakon mark?
Am pleased to have learnt something here

so my next step is to take a look in my ivory 332s for that mark.

..... · January 05, 2019, 07:19:11 PM

Quote from: FABphones on January 05, 2019, 08:48:11 AM

Your source says not a 38/39 phone, did they suggest a date (mine are mid 50s). Either way still a nice find.

Re the markings, I saw the Siemens mark but which one is the Diakon mark?
Am pleased to have learnt something here so my next step is to take a look in my ivory 332s for that mark.

The date on the phone is 1940 according to the markings inside the phone.

I'm not sure which marking is for the Diakon on the under side of the phone.

Here are a few before the cleaning and after pictures.

..... · January 21, 2019, 07:01:34 PM

My replacement parts for my Ivory GPO phone arrived from the UK today. Handset cord, feet and the drawer pull. Got them put on, the phone is now finished and ready for display.

Doug Rose · January 21, 2019, 08:00:33 PM

WOW! Beautiful. Everything matches....Outstanding....other Doug

..... · January 21, 2019, 08:37:11 PM

Quote from: Doug Rose on January 21, 2019, 08:00:33 PM
WOW! Beautiful. Everything matches....Outstanding....other Doug

Thanks Doug,

It's now in the display cabinet with my other GPO phone. I call them Salt and Pepper.

Doug

RotarDad · January 21, 2019, 08:51:30 PM

Doug, that really turned out great, and what a beautiful phone! 1940 - Battle of Britain..... Time to watch "Darkest Hour" again.....

tubaman · January 22, 2019, 03:46:57 AM

Very nice job - well done.
You just need a Red and a Green one now!

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1938 Ivory Diakon GPO 332 UK phone