The start of the First World War saw a unique need for lighting, as the war was being fought from long distances inside trenches. This need would evolve during the Second World War, as lighting grew more sophisticated and became a standard part of a soldier’s uniform. This innovation was such a success that it would carry on into modern times, where it is still an appendage of military uniforms to date. Without knowing the history of military lighting lamps, from torches to headlamps, we may not know the origins or reasoning behind why headlamps exist today.

Earliest Origins of the Head Lamp

During the First World War, things got messy quickly. The war was fought from behind barbed wire and in utility holes or trenches that were deep enough to hide an entire army. The air quality wasn’t great in the heat of battle, and amid all the smoke and explosions, it was difficult to see, especially at nighttime. Something had to be done to alleviate this issue. The first thought was to have lanterns in the trenches, but this wasn’t the most economical move, as it could have caused a real fire hazard. This is when trench torches evolved from lanterns and were adopted in the military.

The British Take On the Torch

Once the British heard of the Americans’ idea of adopting the lantern as a part of their uniform, they took the prototype and enhanced it. They altered the design from a cylindrical model to a boxed structure that had a lamp on one side of it. This would be known as the LE1 or the Light Electric 1. The LE1 would go through several revisions until the British stumbled on the German prototype of the same headlamp, which they called the “artes lamp.” This would later become known as the LE4. This design was highly reliable, retaining the box structure but featuring additions such as a lens, reflector, and bulb.

Additions Made for Night Vision

What really put this version of the headlamp ahead of its time was its addition of colored filters. Adding both red and green filters to the headlamp dampened images to put less stress on the eyes and allowed the wearer to read easier at nighttime. This would later lead to more progressive and tactical inventions of modern night vision goggles that are used for military and hunting applications, surveillance, and other strategic styles of investigative work.

What Made It So Strategic in War

The headlamp would eventually become a standard part of the military uniform itself while fighting in trench warfare. It was so beneficial because soldiers could turn the light on or off at a moment’s notice to hide themselves from their enemies or reveal areas that they couldn’t normally see in the night. This was a huge tactical advantage that the military would adopt.

Even more importantly, soldiers could now fight with their hands free for combat. Previously, soldiers engaged in combat had to manage their lanterns in addition to their weapons, which could make fighting rather difficult. Thanks to their headlamps, however, soldiers were now provided a free range of motion whether they engaged in hand-to-hand combat or employed a knife or handgun.

Once the lenses and colored filters were added to headlamps, the military jumped on the bandwagon with the night vision application. They quickly decided thereafter that Morse code could easily be transmitted thanks to this uniform item, and so it soon became used for communication in instances when signaling was the only safe means of communication with comrades.

The Modern Version of the Headlamp

These days, headlamps are used by hundreds of thousands of industries, from fabrics to robotics. Anything that involves intricate work may require the attending employee to wear a headlamp. Even medical workers such as surgeons, nurses, and doctors utilize headlamps to make their jobs easier.

Modern headlamps are much more efficient and durable than what your grandfather might have carried in the war. The most notable difference between modern models and those used in World War II comes in the form of their sheer power. Your typical run-of-the-mill headlamp might offer 500 lumens of light, whereas anything tactical or military-grade headlamps provide be over 1000 lumens or more. Additionally, while the original models were extremely sturdy, they weren’t invulnerable; the new models are completely water- and impact-resistant.

The size of these headlamps has decreased quite a bit to cut down on the weight that soldiers must carry, which is a huge advantage in the field and at home. And instead of just turning off and on, most headlamps now have multiple mode settings that are designed for use in emergency situations. For instance, if you need extra power, you can turn on high beams that can scout out just about anything, no matter how dark or far away it is. Or, if you’re trying to save your battery life, you can put the headlamp on a low setting that still outputs enough light to see clearly; you can keep your light going for hours on end this way.

So, the next time you find yourself at a military surplus or depot that offers military gear for sale, make sure they have headlights as a staple. If they don’t, you’ll know that they aren’t truly up to date with their gear.

The headlamp is truly a modern marvel, created by the ingenuity of man’s attempt to succeed at modern warfare. This piece of equipment is becoming standard issue in military uniforms in certain settings and has made its way into the civilian world as a tool that many professions use to conduct their work effectively. This is just one reason why history should always be preserved and why it is so important that we remember our own historical backgrounds. Our military history should not be forgotten, and this includes the history of military lighting lamps, from torches to headlamps. Knowing our past and understanding where we came from gives us a better appreciation for the things we have today.