Landships II

Hi Kieffer,

this is correct, the 18th of december 1918, France being thankfull to her soldier allowed for each of them an helmet with this brass shield on it.
Famillies of deceased soldiers were also suposed to get one.
It seems that only officiers had their names written on it.

Best regards,
Paul

Hi Paullux,

thanks for your reaction!

unfortunately I don't have a picture, the helmet is with a friend a few miles away. When I am near, I will make a photo of it. There was a name, but scratched under in the steel of the peak, like many soldiers do.
Heard too that these vets got the first drink for free when visiting the cafe...well at least they deserved that!
Amazing how small this helmet is...were there different sizes?
What function had that aluminium inside?
Under the topic "Gaede helmet again" I posted a picture of an Adrian, decorated by a poilu to mock or make some fun, did you see it?

regards, Kieffer

Hi kieffer i do believe the french produced the Adrian in at least 3 different sizes, although I coldnt tell you what these actually were but probarbly a fairly standard small, medium and large.... there may be a marking on the inside...


French Adrian helmet site

Cheers

Hi Ironsides,

thanks for the lead! There were three sizes as I see, one would presume that helmets were all the same size. So I am relieved that the question wasn't that dummy..
Sizes anyhow, people were smaller then. Uniforms exhibited in museums look (even in pristine condition) so small and fragile, seeing the things in real it's almost a touching experience. And their shoes, was their ever any army who gave it's soldiers proper ones?

regards, Kieffer

Hi Rectalgia,

yes, men are taller today. One of the statistics comes right from the military, the medical records from recruits who are measured when drafted. Nutrition or malnutrition was a key factor. Military service was often the first occasion were men got enough to eat, and for instance the French army food was not that bad at all, at least in pre war times.
Well, clogs are comfortable! You wouldn't say that by seeing. It takes a few days to get used to them, the beginning is a bit harsh. Apart from being a cheap footwear they are dry and even warm too in wet soil. Belgian "piotten" at the beginning of the Yser episode were short on everything, shoes too, and they wear often clogs.But you're right, running and marching is an other matter than standing relatively still in a trench.

regards,
Kieffer

Hi Ironsides,

yes, clogs are mostly connected to the Dutch type, you always see on folkloristic pictures and so on, they are painted and decorated too. They are called "klomp" or klompen in plural, in Dutch.
Normally they are just plain and unpainted, and the type were the instep is more open is indeed another.
As many privates were "country boys" I think they were already used to wear them.
Nice 'klompen"picture you posted there! Did the local marten pay a visit?
Might be an idea to start a topic on  wwI military footwear?

best regards, Kieffer

Hi Ironsides,

I meant to comment on the "ferret accessory", glad I didn't make light of it now.  I had an uncle who kept a few ferrets, when times were hard.  Got me thinking though, about the opportunities for food foraging during WW1 (ferrets being used so much in past days for "rabbiting" as my uncle did), no chance of course at the front but I find no reference to it other areas either.

But there are plenty of references to army rations, the re-enactors replica supplies, etc. like http://www.tommyspackfillers.com/gallery/gallery.php?page=0 (British).

That site has an extensive section on grenades too. Good heavens, the 36 grenade was used in WW1! I had imagined the "36" stood for 1936. I used those (on a range) two generations and more later. Instructors joked (I hope they were joking) when we prepared the things to be sure we had the right fuse (4 or 7 sec, I forget, there were both, colour white maybe is the one we used) not orange (that colour I remember) which was "Fuse, Instantaneous".

There was such (orange) fuse I have used it. It is for booby traps. It is fast-burning (just under 100 ft/sec), not to be confused with the cordex/detcord/primacord as many do (that stuff is HE and more like 7-8 km/s - and WW2 and after). The orange fuse could be used with a grenade for a booby trap I suppose but the cap, fuse and detonator are usually a pre-made assembly. I wonder if "instantaneous" grenade fuse sets were actually made and issued? It seems unlikely to me but the exigencies of war ... certainly a simple and effective booby trap but the risk of mixing... Bad enough with 4 and 7 second fuses (the latter for EY rifle grenade projector use and maybe training).

Anyway, that is all far from the Adrian with a commemorative plate, far even from footwear and the non-combatant ferret. But for fine detail in dioramas and such, the pictures in the link might be interesting.


-- Edited by Rectalgia on Saturday 27th of February 2010 06:34:53 AM

another feeding item, a German mobile bakery

Kieffer

Yes "instantaneous" grenade fuse sets were actually made and issued were made & issued, they were also distinctly coloured orange. The greatest use of them that I have read about was in the Far East, but that I believe is an artefact of what I was reading. I know some were "intentionally lost" to the insugents in Malya in the 50's.

I recall a training exercise where these were "substituted" into training grenades to make a point! The result was a great deal of paranioa! We all got damed good at "disassembly" to check! That was when I was a Cadet bloody near 65 years since the no.36 was 1st introduced! But then my 1st training rifle had pre 1900 proof stamps on some parts!