Wwi Us Military Wooden Gas Attack Alarm Trench Rattle Rare & Original

For sale is the pictured US WWI gas attack alarm. These were used by the US military in the trenches of WWI in order to warn of impending gas attacks. It's a simple wooden construction that makes an EXTREMELY loud noise when the handle is held and the body is spun. This example is in excellent working order, is still loud, and the wood tongue that presses against the ratcheted handle has great tension. Stamped with "For Use As Gas Alarm Only, " with the stamp still being very legible although generally worn with age.

The entire item is in very good overall condition, showing expected wear from field use and over 100 years of storage. Lots of minor dings, scuffs, and compressions in the wood, but wood is incredibly solid and sturdy. Many countries used a version of these in WWI, and this is the typically American type. In the post-WWI period, these were actually used by some militaries to simulate machine gun fire during training exercises - that's how loud these are! Overall this is a great example of an unusual piece of American gear, straight from the trenches of the Western Front.

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