Mystery Item

[Nieghorn]

I work at a museum and found this among a collection of parts, gauges, etc. from RCN ships. Anyone know what it was used for?  (Coming from the bottom are electrical wires that have been cut short).

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I take it has a plunger in the middle there, some sort detonator? hook a volt meter up to it and see if pushing the plunger completes a circuit.

 

[MilEME09]

I take it has a plunger in the middle there, some sort detonator? hook a volt meter up to it and see if pushing the plunger completes a circuit.

My guess is maybe to fire a weapon system of some kind, the plunger could be a trigger, and the metal loop that goes around could be there to prevent accidental usage. my 2 cents

 

[Blackadder1916]

Could you clarify some things that are not clear in the photo?

Is the bottom part (the darker bit where the wires protrude) threaded or does it look like that part is meant to fit into something?

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

You should try and get in touch with the "Friends of HMCS Haida" and see if one of their number is an old underwater weapons tech.

I think that what you have there is one of the actuators for the 21 inch heavy torpedoes that were on the WWII River class and Tribal class Destroyers, which were connected to the gyro system to steer the torp. But I can't get my hands on the old drawings our unit used to have to confirm this. I don't even know if they have the drawings anymore, since they moved out of the facilities on Drummond street years ago.

 

[Nieghorn]

Thanks for that!  I'll put it down as a maybe and ask some of our vet volunteers if that rings a bell with them.

Hoping for some other insight to the latest mystery I've encountered.