Inert "S" cell battery and the "X Mk II" battery

[Chasemuseum]

For British service during WW1 two groups of batteries were used; wet cell batteries (both rechargeable and single use) and dry cell batteries.

1. Wet cell rechargeable batteries were typically the lead acid batteries in a glass case. They were expensive, very heavy, not particularly robust and could only be used were facilities existed to recharge them. Use was mainly Naval and at permanent telegraph & telephone facilities.

2. Wet cell Sal-Ammoniac batteries (Leclanché Cell ) were a glass jar, with a zinc rod and bag of manganese dioxide around a carbon rod in a Sal-Ammoniac solution. When either the zinc rod or the manages dioxide bag had been consumed these could be replaced, rather than disposing of the entire battery. These were probably the most cost-effective battery in use and were used for telegraphy and telephones at semi-permanent locations. The batteries for field use were carried in custom wood crates holding a number of cells to give the required operating voltage. These do not appear to have been widely used as trench stores in forward areas of the Western Front, presumably because of the weight and somewhat fragile nature.

3. Single use dry cell, carbon-zinc/manganese dioxide batteries were the newest technology, dating from the 1890s. Modern alkaline single use batteries are just the next step on, using an alternative chemistry that gives a superior energy density. Of the various battery configurations in manufacture during the period of the Great War, only the C-cell is still in universal manufacture.

 

For military service a number of single use dry cells were used, some just being groups of smaller batteries bundled together in a box and wired in series to give the user a more convenient product.

Aside from cost the other objections to carbon-zinc batteries were that they leaked a corrosive juice when the zinc casing pitted through and  they had a very poor shelf life, - typically, six-months from manufacture. Hence the date of manufacture was ink stamped or marked with crayon on the outside of the battery. A much longer shelf life was obtained with the “Inert” battery, where the manganese-dioxide and electrolyte paste was manufactured as dry as possible and the cell was fitted with a couple of corks. 8-hours prior to use, clean water was poured into the battery, and it was let sit until the paste became electrically active and the corks were then put back to seal the battery.

Of the various batteries used with field telephones and signal lamps, probably the most common model was the “X Mark II” and the inert cell version of the same battery the “S-cell”.

I have recently acquired a pair of S-cells. They are dated to the month and day only, not year so they were possibly made after the war. The maker “SB” is Siemens Brothers, a major electrical goods manufacturer in Britain during both Wars.

 

 

[Chasemuseum]

Chart detailing various batteries in British service use late in WW1

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[Chasemuseum]

A couple of other batteries from the collection. Both were recovered from a WW1 field telephone No 92 Mark 235, a GPO designed telephone used by artillery units in the UK, intended to be able to be connected to the civilian telephone network if required and used for anti Zeppelin and aircraft defence.

P-cell, not that this inert cell does not appear in the previous table. 

 

 

 

 

 

W-cell, Obach was one of the marketing trade names used by Siemens Bothers for their battery products

 

 

 

 

[JMB1943]

Chase,

That is a fascinating display of batteries, thanks for posting.

14 Different batteries listed there, no wonder this was called the first industrial war.

I had not read the words “Leclanche Cell” & “Daniell” since school physics about 1000 yrs ago.

Regards,

JMB

 

 

 

[MrEd]

@6th Hauraki KIA KAHA this may be of relevance to our conversation. I don’t know if our boxes were these dry cell types or leclanche types 

i think the terminals we are missing are similar to the Post Office ‘terminal no14’ used at the time - I will try and find out more.

 

ed