The Forests Commission developed the use of helicopters for aerial ignition from the mid 1960s. Bryant and May at Richmond worked with the Commission to develop a Delayed Action Incendiary Device. DAIDs as the were known, had an overall length of 180 mm, striker end length - 10 mm. Ignition end length - 80 mm, then a layer of high melting point wax (to prevent accidental ignition when rubbing together in transit). Both ends coated with a modified match head compound with safety fuse exposed length between coated match ends. There was a 17-second delay from when the small end was struck to an intense flaming of the large end, which lasted for 40 seconds. DAIDs were dangerous so were stored in a metal box outside the helicopter along with a disposable striker patch attached with a quick release pin to a special half-door. The first test was with a Bell 47G on 4 October 1967 and the first use, anywhere in the world, of DAIDs to backburn a large bushfire was undertaken in north eastern Victoria in February 1968. There was a crash of an FCV helicopter conducting aerial ignition near Wandiligong on 19 April 1978 with the tragic death of two forest officers and their pilot. The crash led to the immediate end of the use of DAIDs and the adoption of the safer Premo ping-pong ball incendiary machine which originally came from Canada but was modified at the Altona workshops. Overall, the development of aerial ignition techniques by the Forests Commission from the mid-1960s resulted in a steady climb in the area burnt each year…. peaking at 477,000 ha in 1980-81 and with an impressive 10-year rolling average of 220,000 ha around the time of 1983 Ash Wednesday Bushfires.Developed in Victoria for aerial ignitionLarge double ended match used for aerial ignition and back burning by dropping from a helicopterbushfire, forests commission victoria (fcv)

Dedicated phone lines were often connected between FCV District Offices and firetowers or local depots. These lines were activated by winding the metal handle to ring the bell at the other end of the line.Bakelite phone with handset and winder. Made of Bakelite.radios, forests commission victoria (fcv)

1. Metal cased field phone. it has a bell, 2 line terminals, a battery compartment, a morse key and a 2 knob buzzer assembly. Coming out from inside is a Bakelite earpiece. On a lead on the lid a field modification has been made to support the handset (2) externally. I rear holding strap is missing. 2. Black Bakelite hand piece, press to talk switch and a heavy duty 4 pin plug.Stamped inside is 1668. Inside the lid is an operation chart - in brass. Stamped serial 25969.ww2, signals, telephones

Metal box with hinged lid containing Morse code equipment – batteries, bell, transmission key. Remains of webbing carry straps on back (see photo). This item has been modified from the original design. The item has a battery box located behind the Morse key but the original battery has been replaced by two rectangular 1.5 V batteries which were placed in the shelf below the Morse key. That shelf was initially intended to store the audio telephone hand piece which is no longer with the device. Hence, the final use of the item was as a Morse key only.Stencilled on outside lid (see photo): TELE SET D M (3 or 4 other indecipherable faint letters/numbers; likely "D. MK V." with star) YA. 6371 Inside (on movable frame, for holding hand piece): PRESS KEY WHEN FINISHED Stamped into metal lid of battery box (behind Morse key): PX SERIAL NO. (no actual serial no. stamped on lid)