June 2011

HeliographThe Heliograph is principally a mirror that uses the light from the solar to flash a message throughout a distance, often utilizing morse code. They were extensively used within the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries for military and also for surveying functions. Superior fashions came with a tripod.

All the soldiers within the photograph, except the one in the dead of night tunic, is carrying a rifle. It is not obvious as a result of the rifle sling is white, the identical colour as their tunics. The Black Watch was shaped within the early 18th century to police the highlands of Scotland. It is the oldest and finest identified of the highland regiments. It remains part of the British Army to at the present time. You could go to the official Black Watch Residence Page for additional information.

With the deployment of wireless in the very early 20th century, signalling with heliographs, lamps and semaphores took a diminished function in navy communications. Nonetheless, wireless may simply be intercepted by the enemy. So visual signalling was advantageous when the enemy was over the horizon or out of the line of website. Visible signalling tools continued for use by way of and beyond. Afghan resistance fighters used the heliograph through the Soviet invasion of their nation.

Marina Yurlova served in uniform as a fighting Cossack, volunteering in 1914 at the age of 14. Although repeatedly wounded in fight, she returned to army service and repeatedly won the St. George’s Cross for bravery. Through the struggle and revolution, Marina encountered Turks, Kurds and Reds, drove cars and vehicles, fought for the Czech Legion, trekked overland throughout Siberia, and eventually boarded a ship at Vladivostok to travel to Japan in 1919. Remarkably, whenever requested, Marina never denied she was a girl.

In the USA there’s a robust following of Heliograph enthusiast. An illustration was held by James Riddle, KD7AOI at Fort Huachuca in the USA on Nov 15, 2001, for members of the Current US forces to demonstrate the establishing and use of the Heliograph. In the picture above James appropriately hangs the case around the tripod legs and not on the hook beneath the center, then the hook is only for suspension of a stabilising weight / sandbag.

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