The Signaling Mirror: WWII US Government Training Film

This teaches how to aim a two-sided emergency signaling mirror. This August 1943 US Government Training film is a digitized version of the US National Archives copy. Later testing proved retroreflective ("reflex") signal mirror aimers were more accurate, and the US services changed to that type of emergency signal mirror, but two-sided mirrors are still found in many liferaft kits. They are also the type sold for decades as the official US Boy Scout signal mirror, and the type typically made by Varsity Scouts in their "Operation on Target" event.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• signal mirror
• signaling mirror
• emergency signaling mirror
• survival
• heliograph
• world war II

[ufoengines]

Very nice film. I just posted a vid of my home made Heliograph. While testing it, I looked into the beam of light to see just how well it worked, and I can tell you that 20 million candle power number seems close to right. VERY BRIGHT! Read that a Heliograph was able to send a flash seen 189 miles from Az to Ut. in the 1890's . Don't know if any code was sent.

[rafowell]

@ufoengines Thanks! Nice helio! The heliograph entry in Wikipedia has a list of external links at the end. The first link leads to a page with a button: build your own Hg: at the top that leads to a number of heliograph plans. The Wikipedia article also gives the link record as 183 miles between Utah and Colorado Sept 17 1894, and a footnote link leading to book online with the details on pp. 10 and 11. They did send code both ways.

[n7tek]

How did you get a hold of this old training film???!!! And how did you get it converted to a video format for uploading onto youtube? The signaling distance stated in the film is a bit short from my experience but then again I'm usually signaling through dry desert air not moisture laden ocean air. There is a big difference.

[rafowell]

@n7tek : I saw this film referenced in WWII documents, and asked the US Coast Guard historian, who sent me to the US National Archives, who had a copy. I followed the Archives standard process for copying of movies in their collection, It was expensive - $285 was the low bid. I converted the contractor's version from professional format to MPEG4 on my Mac and uploaded it. The range is conservative, yes. See my YouTube video demonstrating 43 mile range with a 3"x5" mirror.

[jrcadet4]

I recently lucked onto a signal mirror just like the ones demonstrated in this training film. Nice to have a better idea how one would use it!

[seeker1028]

Thank you! for posting this, I have tried to teach troops to carry a mirror in all their kits. Now with this they will see that it is valuable and not just a waste of time to learn and to carry

[RustedCaltrop]

great video.

[CaptainBerz]

I love old time videos like this!