Officer's Training Manual

Flares and Alarms

Lecture by Lieut Bray

Alarms and flares are used with obstacles. The alarm warning the defenders of the approach of the enemy and the flare lighting him (the enemy) up. Care must be taken that the defending trenches are left in shadow, the flares being screened behind. Alarms and flares are used in conjunction. They are set going by the enemy coming in contact with 'trip' wires in the obstacles. Bonfires make good flares but they must be screened. They should be made so that they cannot be kicked down.

They are made of shavings, straw, brushwood etc. assisted with pitch petroleum etc. Bonfires are lighted with a piece of instantaneous fuse attached to a bag of gunpowder. The fuse is lit by wires running from trip wires in the obstacle to a friction tube. The fuse should be protected from the wet. Acetylene flares are used.

Illuminating Wreck Lights are Government Stores, burn 20 minutes and light up a circle 100 yds. They are lighted by either instantaneous or time fuse. Outer cover of fuse should be stripped.

Star Shells are not very good as they light up both attackers and defenders. They have a great moral effect on natives.

Searchlights are the best means of lighting up the foreground. They also blind the attack. Bright lights such as searchlights in the trench or close to the parapet are hard to screen and therefore there is a danger of the enemy pouring in a concentrated fire on the spot.

Small five minute flares are better than intense lights of long duration.

Automatic Cartridge Alarm

Automatic Flare Light and Pit

Compounds Suitable for Flares

Nitrate of Potash. Sulphur. Onpiment. Magnesium

Alarms

Jam tins and strips of tin on obstacles must not be made too sensitive. If too sensitive false alarms will be caused by wind. Bicycle bells. Rifle alarms not much good owing to constant rifle fire. Flares and alarms must not make sentries careless.

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© A.D. Hesketh. Copyright notes. The original notebook has been donated to the museum of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, The Castle, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 2AY. Before this was done the notebook was loaned to me, and I am grateful to Catherine Crossley, a relative of 2nd Lt. Roberts for permission to copy it.. Consequently the material and images in this section should not be reproduced without the written consent of myself or the RWF museum.


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Officer's Training Manual Flares and Alarms Lecture by Lieut Bray Alarms and flares are used with obstacles. The alarm warning the defenders of the approach of the enemy and the flare lighting him (the enemy) up. Care must be taken that the defending trenches are left in shadow, the flares being screened behind. Alarms and flares are used in conjunction. They are set going by the enemy coming in contact with 'trip' wires in the obstacles. Bonfires make good flares but they must be screened. They should be made so that they cannot be kicked down. They are made of shavings, straw, brushwood etc. assisted with pitch petroleum etc. Bonfires are lighted with a piece of instantaneous fuse attached to a bag of gunpowder. The fuse is lit by wires running from trip wires in the obstacle to a friction tube. The fuse should be protected from the wet. Acetylene flares are used. Illuminating Wreck Lights are Government Stores, burn 20 minutes and light up a circle 100 yds. They are lighted by either instantaneous or time fuse. Outer cover of fuse should be stripped. Star Shells are not very good as they light up both attackers and defenders. They have a great moral effect on natives. Searchlights are the best means of lighting up the foreground. They also blind the attack. Bright lights such as searchlights in the trench or close to the parapet are hard to screen and therefore there is a danger of the enemy pouring in a concentrated fire on the spot. Small five minute flares are better than intense lights of long duration. Automatic Cartridge Alarm Automatic Flare Light and Pit Compounds Suitable for Flares Nitrate of Potash. Sulphur. Onpiment. Magnesium Alarms Jam tins and strips of tin on obstacles must not be made too sensitive. If too sensitive false alarms will be caused by wind. Bicycle bells. Rifle alarms not much good owing to constant rifle fire. Flares and alarms must not make sentries careless. Return to Manual © A.D. Hesketh. Copyright notes. The original notebook has been donated to the museum of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, The Castle, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 2AY. Before this was done the notebook was loaned to me, and I am grateful to Catherine Crossley, a relative of 2nd Lt. Roberts for permission to copy it.. Consequently the material and images in this section should not be reproduced without the written consent of myself or the RWF museum.