Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

World War 1 - Fullerphone Telegraph

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Subcollections

Communications Gallery - Centenary of Royal Australian Corps of Signals

Overview

The Fullerphone is a DC line Morse telegraph whose transmissions were practically immune from overhearing by radio, which made the system at the time when it was devised very suitable for use in forward areas during Woorld War 1. From 1935 the "Fullerphone Experimental" was developed. The result was the Fullerphone Mk.IV. Fullerphone Mk.IV* was an update of Mk.IV with radio filtering to reduce interference of radio interception.

Historical information

The Fullerphone is a portable DC line telegraph signaling device that was used in both world wars. Invented by Algernon Clement Fuller, a member of the Signals Corps with the British Army in World War I, the device was designed to put a stop to the Germans intercepting intelligence in the trenches. German listening posts had been eavesdropping on frontline communications from the commonly used trench buzzer signals. The Fullerphone overcame this problem transmitting Morse signals with negligible chance of being overheard. They were first used on the Western Front in late 1915 and were widely used by 1918. the Fullerphone was also used in World War II.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-54-634

Inscriptions and markings

The Fullerphone was very sensitive and a line current of only 0.5 microampere sufficient for readable signals. In practice, however, 2 microamperes were required for comfortable readings and it could be worked over normal Army field lines 15-20 miles long.

Contextual Information

This object is in the Communications Gallery commissioned by the Australian Army Museum of Western Australia as part of the Centenary commemorations of the Royal Australian Corps of Signals. Communication devices used by the Australian Army also are presented in their operational context throughout the Museum.

Links to additional resources

Fullerphone History

Summary of Australian/UK WW2 Line Equipment

Signals in 100 Objects

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

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