WWII "Rebecca" system C-47 photos - wanted

Quest Master · **Joined:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:42 pm **Posts:** 387

Looking for WWII pictures of the "Rebecca" system that was mounted on the C-47 Skytrain. "Rebecca" was the receiver for the "Eureka" system that paratroopers used on the ground during an airborne landing. The PPN-1 or PPN-2 "Eureka" was a beacon that put out a signal for the C-47s to follow. Almost every C-47 that flew in Normandy and later had the AN-147 and AN-148 Antennas mounted on the nose for "Rebecca". I'm looking for pictures of the equipment mounted on the inside of the C-47, either wartime pictures, pictures from a manual or from a restoration. Fire away.

peter · **Posted:** Tue Aug 10, 2010 8:55 am

Do you need pics of the antennas?

Old SAR pilot · **Posted:** Tue Aug 10, 2010 12:52 pm

The Rebecca on US aircraft was the SCR-729/729C. Go to http://www.qsl.net/pe1ngz/airforce for more info.

Quest Master · **Joined:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:42 pm **Posts:** 387

I have pictures of the antennas, and I have one AN-148. I'm looking for pictures of the actual equipment mounted in the aircraft. How it was mounted, where it was mounted. Those types of pictures. Thanks - Van

Pathfinder · **Joined:** Tue Nov 10, 2009 7:35 pm **Posts:** 587

FYI--

PPN-2 was not used operationally by US Pathfinders during WW2. It was a late war development and did not become standard equipment until post-war. PPN-1 and -1A were used. PPN-2 was used by OSS and SOE types but not by paratroops.

I have the manual for the Rebecca set in a file someplace and can send you some scans--just have to locate it! Recently moved to Atlanta and everything is in a jumble! I acquired and restored the Rebecca unit on display at the Pratt Museum in Ft. Campbell, KY.

Dave Berry
Historian/WW2 Pathfinder Group
Had a nice chat earlier today with a good friend who was the navigator on PF Plane 5 into Normandy.

Add: Your Normandy navigator--Don Markey--later was on DS with 3rd Sqn IX Troop Carrier Command Pathfinder Group and was aboard one of three C-47s from that organization which flew nose-to-tail into Leith Hill on 26 NOV 44. Markey's pilot on this mission was Bill Branit--who was a Normandy PF pilot. All together there were 15 air crew and only two survivors of this disaster--both on Branit's plane. Markey was one of the survivors. Art Feigion was pilot of the fourth plane and you can read his description of the event in GREEN LIGHT.

Quest Master · **Joined:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:42 pm **Posts:** 387

Hi Dave,
I presume that this dialog is IRT the section on my website with a picture of the MX-183/PPN-2 bag. At no point do I say that the PPN-2 was operationally used. In fact, I state that it was produced in 1944 (the contract year) and used after June 6th 1944. I do not state that it was operationally used. Maybe I should used the words: developed after June 6th 1944, so that there isn't any confusion. Additionally I did not use the word Pathfinders. Like the CG-15A, which was used by Gliderborne Soldiers, the PPN-2 was not deployed oversea's by Paratroopers, but used stateside for training and evaluation. This is the actual section:

Quote:
"Eureka MX-183/PPN-2 Bag, left photo. The Eureka system was a simple beacon designed to initially assist in the delivery of supplies to the Army or Resistance in occupied Europe.
The Rebecca system was mounted on aircraft designed to radiate a pulse signal. The interrogating pulse would be received by the PPN Eureka beacon located on the ground target causing a response to the Rebecca receiver. This signal was displayed on the cathode ray tube located on the aircraft. This system was used by the United States as well as Great Britain. The earliest version of the ground based Eureka beacon was known as the PPN-1.

The MX-183/PPN-2 jute lined khaki canvas bag shown on the left is for the PPN-2. This bag was used by Airborne troops to deploy the PPN-2 during transit and delivery to the ground. The PPN-2 was designed in 1944 and used after the June 6th 1944 invasion of Normandy France. The PPN-2 operated in the 214-234 Megacycle (Mega-Hertz, MHz)
frequency on 5 different channels. The beacon was designated RT-37/PPN-2 with aerial AS-73/PPN-2." End quote

I will alter the verbiage.

As for Rebecca, I am looking for pictures of the system actually mounted in a C-47. Not pictures of the system, but rather pictures of how it was mounted to see if it was actually mounted in my aircraft. I have the remains of C-47 "Chalk 40" which had a pair of AN-147 and AN-148 antenna's mounted on the nose. So far, I can't prove that the system (all of the components) were actually mounted in my aircraft.

I have talked to Donald Markey on several occasions, and met with his children. He does not recall the equipment on the aircraft, but does recall that if it was there he did not use it. Chalk 40 was not his aircraft, but rather the aircraft he was assigned to just prior to the June 6th flight. He was unfamiliar with that crew and had only met them several days prior.

I am aware of the crash that Don Markey was involved in and have copies of all of his paperwork to include a photo of him in his uniform with scars on his face that were a result of the crash. Those details and photo's will be added to the website when I publish a specific page for Don, but not on the Chalk 40 page because it did not have anything to do with that aircraft.

I would very much like to see scans of your Rebecca manual. When you dig them out, please let me know.

Thanks for your time,
Van

Quest Master · **Joined:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:42 pm **Posts:** 387

I found an interesting tid-bit today for the PPN-2. Although this thread was specific to the Rebecca system on the C-47, I've been going through some of the historic data from the 306th Troop Carrier Squadron, which my C-47 was assigned to, to find out when the Rebecca's were installed on the C-47s. The section below is an except from the historical data, March 1944 page 59 for the 306th Troop Carrier Squadron while they were in Metz, France preparing for Operation "Varsity" March 24th:
Quote:
HISTORICAL DATA
306TH T.C.S. COMMUNICATIONS SECTION
3. New equipment in Radar Section: 4 AN/PPN-2 new paradrop
beacons and a rectifier RA-83-80 to be used as battery charger.
End quote.

This proves that the PPN-2 was not only issued, but fielded in France as early as March of 1944. Just figured I'd add this in here. - Van

Pathfinder · **Joined:** Tue Nov 10, 2009 7:35 pm **Posts:** 587

...an except from the historical data, March 1944...while they were in Metz, France...This proves that the PPN-2 was not only issued, but fielded in France as early as March of 1944.

Quest Master · **Joined:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:42 pm **Posts:** 387

That was my typo. March 1945.

gschwartz · **Posted:** Wed Oct 26, 2011 3:52 pm

I am restoring the radio/nav areas of a very late C-47D, that had been used as a NAV Trainer. I know that it had AN-148 antennas installed, and at least a single AN-147 in the nose. Most information for SCR 729 show two receiver antennas (AT-4) or AN147s on either side of the forward fuselage.

The aircraft I am working on has a small adapter of the forward nose center that was "plated" over where I removed the base of an antenna and it is marked AT-4 A. The connector was destroyed. I have new AN-95 IFF antenna bases that are an exact physical duplicate of the AT-4 A base. I am trying to find out how long the "whip" element would have been for an AT-4A.

I am also trying to rationalize why my airplane and the picture I have of an Austrialian airplane have two AN-148 antennas on either side of the forward fuselage but evidence of only 1 AT 4 being installed on the center forward nose. Can anyone shed any light on this. Bear in mind this was a late '44 construction number airplane delivered in April 1945.

The late war and early 1950's versions of the Dash 4 manual show pictures of the APN 2 installation at the Navigators position.

Quest Master · **Joined:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:42 pm **Posts:** 387

Still looking for "Rebecca" system photos on the C-47.
In the mean time.....here is an excerpt from the Historical Archives of the 306th Troop Carrier Squadron, 442nd Troop Carrier Group, 50th Troop Carrier Wing, Communications Section from March 1945 (in France). My C-47A 43-15137 was assigned to the 306th TCS during and prior to this time period. It states that they have received (4) AN/PPN-2 new paradrop beacons. Operation "VARSITY" was March 24th 1945.....so the PPN-2 was not only produced, but fielded in France at that time.

patelie · **Posted:** Wed Oct 10, 2012 12:13 pm

Hi
You have all the information in the erection and maintenance instructions AN 01-40NC-2
Figure 492 - page 500

2 is the radio control box (C3/APN2) mounting (FT406)
5 is the radio indicator (BC929) mounting (FT409?)
7 is the Transmitter-Receiver unit (RT1/APN2) mounting (FT416)

hope this help.

AviaS199 · **Posted:** Sat Oct 13, 2012 10:30 pm

This may be what you're seeking. It's a photo of my father with his C-47 in Burma, circa January 1945. I've been told the antenna just below the cockpit is a Rebecca antenna.

Quest Master · **Joined:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:42 pm **Posts:** 387

Yes, that is correct. That antenna on the side of your dad's C-47 is the AN-148 for the Rebecca. Great photo! I am looking for very detailed photos of the inside components.

patelie · **Posted:** Fri Dec 12, 2014 9:49 am

Van
Did you get good photographs of the navigator compartment? we just bought the BC-1145 control box and the BC-929 indicator and wanted to install them in The SNAFU Special.

BTW the antenna under the nose is also part of the Rebecca set.

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