Great War Telephone Equipment 1914-1918: 
Great War Telephone Equipment 1914-1918:
Other Signalling related items and equipment
Signaller Officers uniforms belonging to two Great War brothers
Capt A.E Odell 1917 Capt A.E Odell 1918 Lt. G.F. Odell 1917 Lt. G.F. Odell 1917 Note: Thats me wearing it in 2002 Jacket: 2719 KT Trousers:2719 KT
Burberry, London
Jacket: 28382-53 Trousers: 28382-53
Burberry, London
Jacket 84390-53 Trousers marked: 1918
Burberry, London
Jacket 84398-58 Trousers marked: 84398-58
Burberry, London
Links to web details on the above in my collection
Officer signallers uniforms; The first two belonged to Captain Albert Edward Odell of the 50th (Northumbrian) Divisional Signal Company Royal Engineers. The third belonged to his brother, Lt. George Frederick Odell of No 5 Telegraph Construction Company, 'L' Signals battalion, B.E.F. All are made by 'Burberry's of London. Use the links above to find out about the stories behind these two men.
The Semaphore Alphabet with Flags.
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A to L M to Y V to Z
"Morse Code"
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Can you work out what the shutter is flashing at the top of the page?
"Morse Key Single Current."
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British key marked: RAF 2533. This is a Great War item and the RAF is unlikely to refer to 'Royal Air Force' as it was 'The Royal Flying Corps' at the time.
"Gilbert Bros. baseboard set."
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This British baseboard set was built in London for the British Army during W.W.I. It appears to have been built to order, for the key is by A.T.M. (stamped 1915), the sounder is a G.P.O. sounder and the galvanometer is marked N. T. Co. Ltd.
This baseboard set is transported in its own wooden carry case. The knob on the key is made from buffalo horn.
This baseboard set is of the "direct sounder, intermediate station" type. When the key is up, the baseboard set has the sounder in the circuit and hence the operator can copy all stations on the wire. When the key is depressed to send, the sounder is out of the circuit; British telegraphists listened to the click of the key and watched the galvanometer swing left and right to monitor their own sending.
The galvanometer was also used to permit the telegraphist to determine if he was actually applying current to the wire when transmitting. Likewise, the galvo was used to determine the presence of an incoming signal even it the sounder was incorrectly adjusted.
On the base of this set, carved into the wood, is "6 London Div." This was part of the British Army's III Corps and was one of the first Allied units into France during W.W.I.
Duplex working
Duplex telegraphy admits the sending in opposite directions at the same time on the same wire. This doubles the carrying capacity of the wire, and is useful when pressure of traffic makes single working insufficient.
Duplex working requires the balancing of line resistance between the two stations and this is achieved using a variable resistance box or Rheostat Mk 1 or 2, as illustrated below.
"0-210 Ohm Rheostat " (For duplex working)
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"Great War 0-4,400 Ohm Rheostat Mk 2" (For duplex working)
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"0-10,000 Ohm Rheostat " (For duplex working)
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'Galvanometer' (For duplex working)
Great War Galvanometer, specifically for use when balancing circuits for 'Duplex Working'
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This instrument is marked 'Silvertown', No 969, 1915. And is heavy Brass and Mahogany construction.
"Edison and Swan "Q and I detector."
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This British Q and I detector(Quantity and Intensity) is an elementary galvanometer made for signallers to make rough battery checks, find faults, number wires, and other similar tests. It is not intended to measure absolute current or to be part of a working telegraph set.
The "Q and I" stand for "Quantity and Intensity," 19th century electrical terms, which are misleading terms to describe the coils. The "Q" coil has a resistance of .2 ohms. The "I" coil has a resistance of 100 ohms.
The "intensity" coil is used for localizing faults in lines using a series resistance. The "quantity" coil is used primarily for battery testing.
This meter, c. 1917, was made by Edison and Swan United Electric Light Co. Ltd, the company that formed as a result of the 1883 merger of Thomas A. Edison's company and Joseph Swan's company. Joseph Swan of England, invented the light bulb at the same time Edison did. They sued each other, but settled and co-founded Edison and Swan.
This Q and I detector was found in a small leather case with British Army markings dated 1917.
The "Fallolite" Signalling Lamp (Carbide)
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Yes; I have the box, with Carbide container dated 1918, but only a picture of two possible lamps, can you help?
Range 10 to 12 miles at night and 3 or 4 by day. Cylinder would hold 2 charges. 1 charge of Carbide works for about 6 hours.
Please e mail me if you have either of the above lamps guy@trenchmap.com
"Signal Telescope Mk IV" 1917
"Great War Barometer"
German "Field Telephone" (Great War)
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Handset only.
'Wanted' Great War Signals Equipment: please e mail me
Read about Major R.E. Priestley who wrote 'the Signal Service France (1919)
Guy Smith e mail: guy@trenchmap.com
