User Tag List

+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 2 of 2

Thread: How British Soldiers in the Great War Dressed

  1. #1
    Points: 665,303, Level: 100
    Level completed: 0%, Points required for next Level: 0
    Overall activity: 84.0%
    Achievements:
    SocialRecommendation Second ClassYour first GroupOverdrive50000 Experience PointsTagger First ClassVeteran
    Awards:
    Discussion Ender
    Chris's Avatar Senior Member
    Karma
    433316
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    197,554
    Points
    665,303
    Level
    100
    Thanks Given
    31,984
    Thanked 80,905x in 54,720 Posts
    Mentioned
    2011 Post(s)
    Tagged
    2 Thread(s)

    How British Soldiers in the Great War Dressed

    "wool, leather and steel"

    How British Soldiers in the Great War Dressed

    Many weapons of the modern age first entered the combat stage during the First World War, but the uniforms of a century ago still reflected the trends of the previous centuries more than the high-tech gear of today.

    A new video shows the typical clothing worn by British troops in World War I to protect them from the weather and hostile fire. The clothing, relatively simply by today’s standards, was often produced at home by volunteer civilians and made from wool, cotton, and metal.



    The video, called “Getting Dressed in World War I,” follows a British Army soldier of the Artists Rifles regiment as he dresses for a typical day of military duty. The soldier’s long johns and underclothes are made of cotton, while his pants, socks, gloves tunic and even hat are made of khaki-colored wool.

    Most of the clothing is military issue although some items, including wool underlayers and socks, were often made by civilian women back home supporting the war effort. The video points out that socks tended to last just three days during long distances marches, so large numbers of knitted socks were continually needed.

    The uniform showed in the video is plain and simple, designed to be easy to manufacture to support armies that numbered in the millions. The truly striking thing about the uniform is that advances in modern textiles have given today’s soldiers much lighter, warmer, and comfortable equipment. In addition to modern wool and cotton blends fleece for warmth, Gore-tex for water repellency, and even Kevlar for bullet-resistant helmets and vests all provide modern soldiers with the gear to operate in the toughest conditions.

    As difficult as it is to conceive of serving on any battlefield in a scratchy wool uniform, wearing such an outfit in the cold, wet, disease-ridden trenches of the Western Front is staggers the imagination—until one realizes the historical fact that millions served in such an environment wearing as little, or worse.
    Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire. ― Gustav Mahler

  2. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Chris For This Useful Post:

    Helena (01-05-2019),Mister D (01-05-2019)

  3. #2
    Original Ranter
    Points: 297,710, Level: 100
    Level completed: 0%, Points required for next Level: 0
    Overall activity: 41.0%
    Achievements:
    SocialRecommendation Second ClassOverdrive50000 Experience PointsVeteran
    Mister D's Avatar Senior Member
    Karma
    416530
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Posts
    117,870
    Points
    297,710
    Level
    100
    Thanks Given
    25,302
    Thanked 53,475x in 36,449 Posts
    Mentioned
    1102 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    Cool OP. I actually collected some early war (1914, Spring 1915) uniform articles and equipment. I just had to have the early issue French red kepi. Alas, buying a house put the kaibosh on collecting for a long time. Anyway, interesting stuff.
    Whoever criticizes capitalism, while approving immigration, whose working class is its first victim, had better shut up. Whoever criticizes immigration, while remaining silent about capitalism, should do the same.


    ~Alain de Benoist


  4. The Following User Says Thank You to Mister D For This Useful Post:

    Chris (01-05-2019)

+ Reply to Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts