Blue Headlights?

[Chris Munford]

Howdy,

I am aware that aussie carriers had blue head light lenses. I assume that these were for black out driving purposes to dull the light down? The other question I have is, were these on all carriers or only some? I have seen wartime pictures of some with and some without. Were they only put on early or late war carriers?

Cheers
Chris

[David Burr]

The blue lenses appear to help produce a whiter light.

[The Bedford Boys]

The blue headlights aren't bad to drive with at night. I've driven a carrier at night with clear lenses and I could see better when I turned them off! My understanding is that in NZ at least they started off making them with blue lenses and by the end of production weren't putting the blue film in between the two glasses that make up the lense. This may have been due to lack of material to make the blue part, or they deemed it unnecessary for some reason. The blue definitely makes for a better light to drive at night with.

[Chris Munford]

Ok. I am just wondering whether my carrier would have had them but as you say the early ones came out of the factory like that in NZ so it may be the same in Aus.

[Lynn Eades]

If I recall correctly, in that picture parts book, they are marked obsolete.

[The Bedford Boys]

The blue or clear ones Lynn? All the NOS ones I've seen have clear lenses

[Darrin Wright]

My book list the following:
101-2 lens blue headlamp (pg92)

It also list Lamp Ass- tail blue- with side mounting-with no side window. This was utilised on the LHR of the LP2/2A
It list the Lamp Ass- tail red- with side window and mounting. This was utilised on the RHR of the BGC.

I have a NOS red lamp unit fitted to my BGC, the 2 lights are different due to the solid mounting of the elbow at the rear for the wiring.

How and why they were different I am not sure, although red and blue light spectrum is different under different tactical conditions, although they probably were not that advanced back then....no night vision equipment like we have today.

I have seen NOS headlamp lens, they have a dark film between the 2 glass sections. Due to the last 70 years I cannot garantee the accuracy of the shade/tint. They do fade to yellow then clear in UV rays. I would class them not so much as blue, but a very dark blue/black shade.

[David Dunlop]

I wonder if there is an organic gel component to the blue film, which goes ponsy over time when exposed to moisture?

David

[Chris Munford]

So I assume that what we have got from this is that all carriers came out of the factory whether early or late with blue headlights and they simply went clear after a while in the elements.

[Lynn Eades]

No Chris, I don't think so? I have a head light here in which the glass has been painted green. Where the paint has been scratched off, I can see it is a laminated glass that the centre plastic has gone yellow. I would guess that this was originally a clear glass. I can't imagine it ever having been blue (doesn't mean it wasn't)
This light has only ever had one coat of paint and is the dark green green that some Kiwis will know about on early LP2 carriers.
The bulb is an Osram275, Gas filled, made in England, 6Volt 24 Watt.(just if someone wanted to know)
There doesn't appear to be any marking on the glass.

Talking about tail light lenses now. (I have 2 of each, in original packaging, nos)

The red lens is marked HELITE and SAFETY in a small circle with a kangaroo pictured between the words.
The blue lens is marked Triplex.

Interesting that the Australian carriers had the blue and red tail lights installed on opposite sides to the early British carriers.

[Chris Munford]

Lynn, interesting, thanks. That could be what the others were talking about saying that the blue eventually fades to a clear to yellow colour.