Before and during World War II, Radio Corporation made many radio transceivers for use by the military. In fact, we’ve already looked at the advanced WS122 in Vintage Radio for October 2002.

The WS122 was intended for fixed, portable and – at a pinch – vehicle mobile use. By contrast, the WS108 in all its various marks was intended as a backpack transceiver (basically, a predecessor to "walkie talkies"), although it was also used for low-power fixed operation.

This set is claimed to be the first backpack set designed and built in Australia. A Morse code only variant, designated the 208, was used by Australian commandos and coast watchers in the Pacific area during World War II.