item details
NameTrench Periscope Mirror
ProductionUnknown; manufacturer(s); 1914-1918; United Kingdom
Classificationperiscopes, mirrors
Materialsmetal, glass
Dimensions94mm, 90mm, 60mm
Registration NumberGH002652
Credit lineGift of Mr Sydney Dodgson, 1965
Overview
This mirror was designed to be clipped to a bayonet on a rifle. If a soldier held the rifle upright above the parapet of a trench, he could safely look for enemy soldiers without exposing himself to fire.
Mirrors of this type, and other 'trench periscope' devices, were widely used during the trench warfare of the First World War. This one came back to New Zealand with a soldier who donated it to the museum in 1965.