To solve the flashlight mystery: originally, flashlights were used not only for lighting but also for signaling. They had one switch which turned the light on, but a separate button which caused it to flash (like the pulse button on a blender). Thus, you could use the flash button to send a Morse code signal through the dark. You can see this in old WWII movies or, more recently, in the battle scene in the Disney version of Prince Caspian.
