I was recently lucky enough to acquire some WW2 Widdis Diamond X Type 1.5 volt batteries designed for use in field phones and signal lamps. As I can’t find any examples of them online I’d thought I would share some photos here along with a quick history of the company.
Battery types and dates of manufacture
A short history of Widdis Diamond
The batteries are 1.5volt each and can be seen above in series to produce 12 volts.
These batteries are for sale are currently part of a Vickers MG display at Army Museum Bandiana https://armymuseumbandiana.com.au/
A Short History of Widdis Diamond
In 1915, Mr. Charles A. Widdis started a small business in Melbourne manufacturing dry cell batteries, known as the Diamond Dry Cell. The only customers during the 1915 – 1919 war years appear to have been the Australian Government, I’m unsure if the batteries themselves saw any use in the armed forces field equipment at this time.
The business was prosperous enough by the end of the war for Widdis to purchase the factory his company was using in Windsor, Melbourne. In 1919 the Widdis Diamond Dry Cell Pty. Ltd was floated for 10,000 pounds and registered as a company in 1920. With the continued success of the company new premises were required and subsequently built in Melbourne in 1926, in what is now called ‘The Mighty Apollo’ building.
In 1921 the Widdis Diamond company supplied over 130,000 dry cell batteries to different Australian state governments1Construction and Local Government Journal – March and July 1921. By 1930 Widdis Diamond had 130 employees and ‘manufactures four types of single cells, three round and one square, nine sizes of B battery for radio work,with voltages of 22 1/2, 45, and 90, and a C battery of 4.5 volts. In addition, cells are made if necessary to fulfill special requirements. Practically all the dry cells required by the Postal Department, the Australian Navy, the Victorian Railways, and the South Australian Government are supplied by this company.2The Register 6th Sept. 1928
1933 saw the Widdis Diamond Dry Cell Pty Ltd, now with four factories and hundreds of workers, join forces with the Brittannia Battery Company of England and the Pertrix Company of Europe. This lead to new formulae, ideas and supply of resources for battery manufacturing. By 1941 the American Eveready company had become a major shareholder of Widdis, leading to claims of market manipulation in Australia. Widdis Diamond was a subsidiary of Eveready by 1951.
Advertising
Battery Type | Volts | Known Year of Manufacture | Made For |
|---|---|---|---|
| No 1 Round Type - Windsor | 1.5 | 1926 | Telephone Work, Signalling, Dull Emitter Valve. Used by P.M.G. |
| No 2 Buzzer | 1.5 | 1926 | High Discharge, Dull Emitter Valves |
| No 3 Square Type - Commonwealth, Comet, Navy Special | 1.5 | 1926 | Unsure |
| No 4 Radio - B | 45, 60 | 1926 | Radio |
| No 5 Standard Capacity | 60 | 1926 | Radio - 1 or 2 valves |
| No 6 Super Capacity | 45 | 1926 | Not Known |
| No 7 Special Ignition | 6 | 1926 | Ford ignition system, other uses |
| A | 1.5 | 1931 | Radio? |
| Triple Capacity B | 45 | 1931 | Radio |
| 45B Heavy | 45 | 1931 | Radio |
| 60B triple Duty | 60 | 1931 | Radio |
| C | 4.5, 9 | 1931 | Not Known |
| Torch Cells | All sizes, unknown which ones | 1931 | Torch |
| Light Duty B | 22.5, 45, 60, 90 | 1934 | Radio |
| Heavy Duty B | 22.5, 45, 60 | 1934 | Radio |
| Triple Capacity B | 45, 60 | 1934 | Radio |
| Mammoth B | 45 | 1934 | Radio |
| Mammoth | 45 | 1935 | Radio |
| Triple | 45, 60 | 1935 | Radio |
| Heavy Duty | 22.5, 45, 60 | 1935 | Radio |
| Light Duty | 22.5, 45, 60, 90 | 1935 | Radio |
| Triple Capacity B | 45, 60 | 1937 | Radio |
| Heavy Duty B | 22.5 | 1937 | Radio |
| Heavy Duty C | 22.5 | 1937 | Radio |
| Heavy Duty Vertical B | 45, 60 | 1937 | Radio |
| C Battery | 4.5 | 1937 | Radio |
| Heavy Duty B | 45 | 1938 | Radio |
| Triple Capacity B | 45 | 1938 | Radio |
| Torch Refill D.R.2 | 1.5 | 1938 | Torch |
| Tripledyne Radio B | 45 | 1939 | Radio |
| Torch Refill D.R.2 | 1.5 | 1940 | Torch |
| X Mk II | 1.5 | 1943 | War use - field phones, signal lamps |
| Portable Type | 3, 7.5, 180 | 1946 | Not Known |
| No 3950 | 1.5 | 1949 - 1954 | Torch |
| No 3490P B | 90 | 1954 | Portable Radio |
| No 3719 A | 7.5 | 1954 | Unsure |
| No 3739 A | 9 | 1954 | Unsure |
| Powerful Radio A | Unsure | 1950 | Radio 1 - 4 valves |
| No 3467 B | 67.5 | 1956 | Miniature Radio, Hearing Aid |
| No 3745 A | 1.5 | 1956 | Portable Radio |
| RC304 Diamond Combination A-B | 45 | 1956 | Portable Radio |
| No 3482 B | 45 | 1956 | Portable Radio |