History > WW1 Whistles History & Information
War Whistles History - Whistles used in WWI by British, German and Commonwealth Forces
WW1 Infantry Training Manual 1914.
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WW1 British Whistle Instructions from the Infantry Training Manual 1914.
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These images were sent to us by one of our customers. They detail signalling, including whistle instructions for use. A great piece of military history related to World War One Whistles.
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Amongst the archives kept by ACME whistles sits a copy of a simple advert that shows the life saving power of a whistle. This dates from the First world War.
The cylinder shaped Acme Metropolitan issued to Police Officers also became the standard issue in the armed forces and fire brigades. A sergeant in the 2nd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment owed his life the the whistle that hung from his tunic button. Sergeant Harper recorded 'The whistle was struck by the bullet in the centre. Fortunately the impact completely broke its force'. One of the duty doctors described the event as a 'miraculous escape from certain death.' |
Acme whistle Saves Lives during WW1
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Lt. Frank Stuart Shoosmith - Hudson Whistle used at Gallipoli
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Lt Frank Stuart Shoosmith - 5th Bedfordshire Regiment - 'Yellow Devils'
As soon as the Bedfords left their trenches to form up for the second advance, they came under heavy fire. It was so bad that one company of the Bedfords (likely to be B Company) recorded that it was "led from the outset by a Private" as all Officers and NCO's became casualties "in the opening minutes of the (2nd) attack". An eyewitness from the 8th Hampshire Battalion positioned high above on the Kiretch Tepe Ridge wrote that the 5th Bedfords had to advance across a mile of open ground and were subject to heavy fire all the way with "one unfortunate soldier having an arm carried away by a shell which did not burst for another 50 yards". Watching the advance from their position "caused one company of the 8th Hampshires to refuse to move, and they were sent to the beach." Lt. Shoosmith was killed on the 21'st of Aug 1915. The picture opposite shows his letters home and his whistle. |
British Military trench whistle "J. Hudson&Co. Birmingham" from World War 1
British Trench Whistles during World War I were used by the army following a system in which different sounds are used to coordinate several military movements. In this case, we can observe a trench whistle manufactured by the company J. Hudson & Co in Birmingham, England. Joseph Hudson and James Hudson began manufacturing whistles in 1875 and provided different kind of whistles to the Ministry of Defence.
Later the company was purchased by Acme Whistles which continues manufacturing them today. Usually, these whistles were issued for officers, and NCO's and as you can see in this model of my collection, they have engraved the inscriptions "J. Hudson", "Birmingham" and the date of the whistle, in this case 1915. Also, the patent number "5727 0.08" can be observed at the bottom.
A leather strap or cord is hooked to whistle in order to hold it to the officer uniform, in the case the strap is a replica. These whistles are 80 mm in length with a diameter of 17 mm, and I would like to conclude indicating that the whistle you can observe in the pictures works perfectly, after 100 years.
Later the company was purchased by Acme Whistles which continues manufacturing them today. Usually, these whistles were issued for officers, and NCO's and as you can see in this model of my collection, they have engraved the inscriptions "J. Hudson", "Birmingham" and the date of the whistle, in this case 1915. Also, the patent number "5727 0.08" can be observed at the bottom.
A leather strap or cord is hooked to whistle in order to hold it to the officer uniform, in the case the strap is a replica. These whistles are 80 mm in length with a diameter of 17 mm, and I would like to conclude indicating that the whistle you can observe in the pictures works perfectly, after 100 years.
BULLET BOUNCED OFF HIS WW1 WHISTLE
Corporal Clucas, a veteran of the 1914 Battle of Mons, was fighting in France with the Royal Field Artillery the following year when he was hit by enemy fire. But his luck was with him that day as the bullet bounced off a whistle he was carrying. The Liverpudlian soldier’s luck ran out later in the war when he was wounded fighting in the Battle of Passchendaele at Ypres in 1917. While being taken by stretcher to a dressing station a shell exploded, killing the 22 year old.
Corporal Clucas, a veteran of the 1914 Battle of Mons, was fighting in France with the Royal Field Artillery the following year when he was hit by enemy fire. But his luck was with him that day as the bullet bounced off a whistle he was carrying. The Liverpudlian soldier’s luck ran out later in the war when he was wounded fighting in the Battle of Passchendaele at Ypres in 1917. While being taken by stretcher to a dressing station a shell exploded, killing the 22 year old.
WW1 Whistles used by Infantry and Artillery - ACME Made
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Whistles were a vital communication tool on World War One battlefields - their sound told troops it was time to go "over the top" and also warned artillerymen that their gun was about to fire, so that they could avoid being injured by the recoil. Most of them were made by ACME Whistles, who are still manufacturing at the same premises in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham.
Demand grew so big, according to Simon Topman from the company, that they ran out of brass to make whistle's from, and had to appeal directly to the government. "They rushed around to Cadbury's, borrowed a pile of biscuit tins, sent them around to us and we stamped whistles out of biscuit tins," he added. The company also has a letter from a Sgt TW Harper saying one of their whistles saved his life by taking the impact of a bullet that hit him in the chest in 1914. |
Acme Thunderer Whistle
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BRUM'S WHISTLES CALLED MEN OVER THE TOP - BUT ALSO SAVED LIVES.
Whistles that sent our soldiers 'over the top' of the trenches were designed and made in Birmingham. They also helped save lives during the bloody conflict.
THE three words "over the top" are forever immortalised in the history of trench warfare which was deployed for the first time during World War One.
Trench warfare is also now synonymous with the futility of war as many soldiers lost their lives either from the horrific trench conditions, or often within seconds after the whistle blew to send them from the trenches to charge into ruthless enemy gunfire. But 100 years later, few people are aware that the whistles used by officers were both designed and made in Birmingham's thriving Jewellery Quarter by a Birmingham-trained toolmaker. And they have been continuously made in Birmingham since 1870. This famous Birmingham toolmaker was Joseph Hudson.
After founding his own company, J Hudson & Co, in 1870 he made various products including corkscrews, snuff boxes and whistles but also did some shoe cobbling and watch repairing to supplement his income. It came after he replied to an advert from The London Metropolitan Police for an idea to replace the then policeman's rattle, which was a cumbersome means of communication for the then bobby on his beat. His eureka-moment for the police design came after he accidentally dropped his violin on the floor and decided to replicate the discordant sound that it made when it broke.
Whistles that sent our soldiers 'over the top' of the trenches were designed and made in Birmingham. They also helped save lives during the bloody conflict.
THE three words "over the top" are forever immortalised in the history of trench warfare which was deployed for the first time during World War One.
Trench warfare is also now synonymous with the futility of war as many soldiers lost their lives either from the horrific trench conditions, or often within seconds after the whistle blew to send them from the trenches to charge into ruthless enemy gunfire. But 100 years later, few people are aware that the whistles used by officers were both designed and made in Birmingham's thriving Jewellery Quarter by a Birmingham-trained toolmaker. And they have been continuously made in Birmingham since 1870. This famous Birmingham toolmaker was Joseph Hudson.
After founding his own company, J Hudson & Co, in 1870 he made various products including corkscrews, snuff boxes and whistles but also did some shoe cobbling and watch repairing to supplement his income. It came after he replied to an advert from The London Metropolitan Police for an idea to replace the then policeman's rattle, which was a cumbersome means of communication for the then bobby on his beat. His eureka-moment for the police design came after he accidentally dropped his violin on the floor and decided to replicate the discordant sound that it made when it broke.
