Irish Coast Guard Historic
Society
irishcoastguardhistoricalsociety@eircom.net

Setting the Scene
Breeches Buoy Rescue Equipment
Wreck Tokens
Picture Gallery
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COMMUNICATIONS.

Communication between the vessel and the rescuers was of course essential, before electricity and radio this was very basic indeed and could be reduced to three categories, Sound, Sight and Light. A Megaphone was used to amplify sound, Signal flags for daylight communication and a Lantern for night use. The signal flags were Red (2) 3ft x 2ft (90mm x 60mm) on 5ft (1.50 mts) staff, and a pair of semaphore flags 24inch x 24inch (60mm x 60mm) for sending messages. The lanterns varied over the years from oil lamps, Carbide lamps, pressure lamps with a mantle (Tilley type), battery lamps to electric lamps. Interestingly even today ships lights and fixed lights used at sea are still called Lanterns. Flares and Rockets were and are still used for day and night signalling and come in a variety of colours and Orange smoke. The most common method of communication used today is the VHF/ RT (Very high frequency radio telephone) and indeed the mobile phone, although these may be of no use if the language of the rescuers is not the same as the persons requiring assistance. It should be noted that flags, light and pyrotechnic signals are international signals and can be identified by all nations.

PYROTECHNICS.

Pyrotechnics have played a vital role in safety and life saving at sea since early days when gunfire was used to attract attention, and firework rockets were used. It was obvious from the beginning that some sort of system must be available to attract attention by day and by night to a vessel in distress. In Britain firework manufacturers were busy in the time coming up to November 5^th (Guy Fawkes night), they also concentrated on developing marine type rockets and flares which they also produced. Gradually over a period of time distress rockets and hand held flares were being perfected and becoming more reliable. However even up until the mid 1980s hand held flares had to be ignited by removing the top of the flare, exposing the compound and striking it with a specially treated striker located in the top of the flare. This method was very unreliable due to dampness, wind and rain and the fact that they were in cardboard tubes didn’t help. It was only later that a percussion activated flare in a plastic container was produced that flares as such became more reliable. The same system applied to distress rockets which had to be lit with a match or fuze, these were also replaced by the same type of system as the hand held flare. Today distress signals are very reliable and rarely malfunction. If they do it is usually due to bad storage or long past the expiry date stamped on every pyrotechnic. It should be noted that all pyrotechnics are a very dangerous items and great care should be taken in handling them.