Item ST 28778 Trench Periscope - Mark II, Adams & Co., Great Britain, World War I, 1917

Summary

Folding trench periscope, wooden, in canvas bag with spare mirrors and instructions. Label indicates it is a Periscope no 9, Mk II Adams & Co., 1917. Directions for use included.

Trench periscopes allowed sentries to look over trench parapets without exposing their heads. They did not work in the dark, however, and sentries had to expose their heads when flares were sent up to illuminate the battleground.

Physical Description

Trench periscope, rectangular, wooden, painted khaki, hinged in centre, in canvas bag with spare mirrors. A spike at the observation end allows the periscope to be fixed into the wall of the trench. Directions for use included.