Did cannoneers, musketeers, etc. use ear protection? In John Milton’s “A Brief History of Moscovia” he describes a military triumph ending with “a Peal of 170 Brafs Ordnance… and 20000 Harquebuzes twice over.” Wouldn’t everyone involved blow out their eardrums?

by TheDuncanGhola
Holy_Shit_HeckHounds

This question and similar ones shows up fairly frequently. How Did Soldiers Handle the Noise of Combat During the World Wars written by u/Georgy_K_Zhukov talks briefly about the history of ear protection (or lack thereof)

Did 18th century cannon crews use hearing protection when engaged in naval combat? written by u/zlingprinter talks about naval ships (and comes to similar conclusions as the other post)