ndnchf
Well-known member
I'm always looking for equipment or display items for my 1948 Civil Defense Air Raid Warden jeep. A couple weeks ago I found this WWII era navy battle lantern. These were originally mounted throughout ships to provide emergency lighting in case of power loss. I thought it would make a nice addition to my jeep since surplus military gear was often used for civil defense.
It didn't take much to refurb it. Just cleaned all the wiring contacts, bulb contacts and tested the bulb. Put new batteries in it and it was ready to go. The batteries are a rather odd EN6. I had to order them from Amazon.
The more difficult part was where and how to mount it. I decided the right side cowl was a good spot. From my days in the navy I remembered how these were mounted to the bulkheads, so I set out to make a reproduction mount. It was pretty straightforward. After taking measurements I marked out the steel, milled the slot and drilled mounting holes, then bent it to shape. It needed a backing plate to reinforce the cowl location, so I made a matching plate for the inside.
To install/remove it, the lantern must be turned 90 degrees. Simple, but effective. I've been driving around with it for the last 10 days or so. It stays firmly in place.
Another cool addition to the jeep!
It didn't take much to refurb it. Just cleaned all the wiring contacts, bulb contacts and tested the bulb. Put new batteries in it and it was ready to go. The batteries are a rather odd EN6. I had to order them from Amazon.
The more difficult part was where and how to mount it. I decided the right side cowl was a good spot. From my days in the navy I remembered how these were mounted to the bulkheads, so I set out to make a reproduction mount. It was pretty straightforward. After taking measurements I marked out the steel, milled the slot and drilled mounting holes, then bent it to shape. It needed a backing plate to reinforce the cowl location, so I made a matching plate for the inside.
To install/remove it, the lantern must be turned 90 degrees. Simple, but effective. I've been driving around with it for the last 10 days or so. It stays firmly in place.
Another cool addition to the jeep!
