Name/Title
1916-1918 BEF/CEF trench periscope/caseEntry/Object ID
2019.3.169Description
1916-1918 BEF/CEF trench periscope/case. A trench periscope with a leather case and strap. The trench periscope is black, appears to be made of wood construction, has two mirrors, one top, and one bottom, that can change the direction of the light. An image can often be seen without directly viewing it. The trench periscope could have an adjustable leg prop.Context
Many Allied soldiers lost their lives in the early years of the war by peeking from their trenches to observe the enemy. To save lives and gather intel, soldiers used hyposcopes, early trench periscopes, in 1914 and 1915. By early-1915, the British began to mass-manufacture trench periscopes. By 1916, given its use and popularity, British war manufacturers could not keep up with its demand. The British Army created trench periscope workshops near the Western Front to resolve the demand by mid-1916. Soldiers who used the trench periscope could observe enemy trenches, identify targets for the artillery, and locate other fortifications without raising their heads.
