When I first saw the ZA34835 keys offered on eBay as the B2 spy radio key, I became curious about the B2 spy radio. I did an extensive search and found many good articles and photos. I am now presenting my findings in this article.
British Captain John Brown designed the B2 spy radio unit in 1942. Manufacturers then built the B2 spy radio unit in England. The official model number for the unit was "Type 3 Mk. II". Another common label for the unit was "Type B Mk. II". The unit received its common nickname of "B2" from the "Type B Mk. II" name.
Captain Brown designed the suitcase version for agents, resistance groups, and Special
Forces, all working behind enemy lines. His design created a radio set workable over 500
miles. It could work using the various voltage mains or a 6-volt battery. They built other
spy radios during the war, but the "B2" is the best known.
Brown designed the radio to fit into a standard size suitcase. The first suitcases were
the same design. They were a tough all leather design with a nonstandard locking arrangement.
Eventually, the enemy recognized the packaging.
To avoid detection, the builders began installing the radios into various suitcases. Since the units were modular and a standard size, many agents transferred the original radios to their own suitcases that they believed would be less suspicious.
Many of the spy sets delivered to the resistance groups arrived via airdrops. The drop areas were sometimes in moist areas that damaged the units. Compared to units carried into the area, air delivered suitcase units had a lower survival rate. Since the resistance groups mostly worked in the field, away from crowded areas, they did not need to have the radios disguised as suitcases.
This led the designers to repackage the radios into two watertight boxes. The builders increased
padding in the boxes to reduce the shock of the parachute drop. Watertight cases also allowed the
resistance groups to hide the units in rivers or lakes. Spies could transport the boxes on their
backs using special rigging attached to the boxes.
Builders occasionally sent the B2 with a few different Morse keys, depending on the operator's preference. However, the most common key sent was the small British telegraph key labeled S81/2R.
Captain John Brown also designed the radio's telegraph key to be transportable
and rugged. His efforts produced the S81/2R Morse key.
The operator usually mounted the key on top of the metal lid of the accessory
box that contained spare parts. At one time in the radio's life, the military
sent the key with a protective cover labeled
"S.230/1R".
Over the years of my key collecting, I have seen many smaller size keys offered on
eBay as "spy set" keys. Some were real and others not. Any key that was smaller
than the normal size key was a candidate. I saw keys like the numbered Western
Electric 6B keys, the YA1860 radiotelephone set key, and even one of the
Whiterook series hawked as "spy" keys. After the discovery of the actual use of
the keys, the mistaken spy key claims slowly disappeared.
The most persistent survivor of the "spy set" claims is the ZA34835 key. Some
sellers presented this key on eBay as the key used on the B2 spy radios. The
actual use of this key was with the W62 field radio inside the
"Wireless Remote Control Unit L No. 2".
The number for this unit was ZA29007. Engineers designed and released
the unit in late 1944 and 1945. The unit continued in service for several years.
I have also seen reports that Indian telegraph workers used this key in India
with a telegraph test set.
When comparing the two keys, they have some similarities. Their bases are the
same size. They are 2 1/8 inches long, 1 1/4 inches wide and 1/4 inches high.
In addition, the bases have the mounting holes in the same position.
However, there are many more differences. The most obvious difference is the front
bracket position. S81/2R’s bracket is on its right side. ZA34835’s bracket
is on its left side. This produces differences in the wire routing used to connect
with the key contacts. Both S81/2R connections are on its left side. Connections to
ZA34835 are on both sides.
The keys also have different part numbers and different color bases. The B2 key has
the label S81/2R molded into the top of the black Bakelite base.
The W62 key has the label ZA34835 handwritten or stamped on its brown base. There is
also a slight difference in the overall dimensions of the keys. The S81/2R’s length is
slightly shorter and its height lower.
After visiting many sites and viewing many photos, I found something very interesting.
There were no photos of the B2 radio set using ZA34835 keys. Most of the photos
contained the S81/2R key. The photos that differed showed the radios using a version of
the British "W.T. 8 amp" key.
Realistically, it is possible to connect any telegraph key to a spy set to send messages.
What I tried to determine here is the Morse key designed for and predominately used with
the B2 radio sets. I believe the title of "B2 Spy Key" belongs to the S81/2R key.