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Aldis lamps were pioneered by the British Royal Navy in the late 19th Century , and were used up until the end of the 20th Century on board naval vessels. They provided handy, secure communications during periods of Radio Silence , and were particularly useful for Convoy s operating during the Battle Of The Atlantic . Lamps were normally mounted on the mastheads of vessels; smaller, handheld versions were also used. Power was usually provided by the vessel's emergency Generator , and the lamps were powerful enough to be used during daylight hours. They had a secondary function as simple Spotlights . The idea of flashing dots and dashes from a lantern was first put in to practice by Captain, later Vice Admiral, Philip Colomb in 1867. His original code, which the Navy used for seven years, was not identical with Morse, but Morse Code was eventually adopted with the addition of several special signals. Flashing lights were the second generation of signalling in the Royal Navy, after the flag signals most famously used to spread Nelson's rallying-cry before the Battle of Trafalgar. The Royal Navy phased out the use of Aldis lamps in 1997 , although by that time they were largely ceremonial. Other modern forces have followed suit as technological advances in digital communications have made the device obsolete. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINK |
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