An Officer's Kit = WW I

[Father Bill]

I thought some of the folks here might be interested in the "kit list" of a Canadian Lieutenant from WWI. His grand-daughter is a personal friend and gave me permission to scan and upload these here.

Lt. Davis served in military intelligence in Beirut and other parts of the middle east through the Royal Scots.

I hope that you can read them; they were old and tricky to scan but I've increased contrast and light to help.

[RichardtheLarge]

I’m perplexed that a housewife along with all of the other train transport goods is supposed to come in under 35 pounds! I guess people were much shorter then.

[Michael Flemming]

The allowed pair of putties has me stumped.

[Baeau]

The allowed pair of putties has me stumped.

Ask, & I might find. They are the lower leg wraps. About 4" wide, by 8ft. Do a web search, they are on eBay, & Amazomoney. Also, see: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puttee

[RichardtheLarge]

Ask, & I might find. They are the lower leg wraps. About 4" wide, by 8ft. Do a web search, they are on eBay, & Amazomoney. Also, see: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puttee

It’s interesting to see that they’re mostly abandoned these days. I suppose soldiers are told to buy their own compression socks if they want them.

Long story short, standing around and/or marching all day results in peripheral edema in general and pedal edema in particular. The failure of body fluid to return to the heart can significantly increase the work of the heart (to maintain blood pressure, the heart has to contract with greater force if lesser fluid volume is returning from the body). Leg wraps and/or compression socks help with venous return by buoying up the venous valves. With medial force applied to the leg, the valves are less likely to fail and edema is less likely to occur.

Compression stockings are likewise the first line treatment for venous reflux disease.

[figheadair]

It’s interesting to see that they’re mostly abandoned these days. I suppose soldiers are told to buy their own compression socks if they want them.

They were issued not for medical reasons but for securing the opening at the top of short boots. When I joined the Army in 1975 we were still issued puttees and continued to wear them until high-leg boots were introduced.

I’m perplexed that a housewife along with all of the other train transport goods is supposed to come in under 35 pounds! I guess people were much shorter then.

A Housewife was a sewing kit. Here's my grandfather's WWII issue Housewife which I used all through my military service.

[RichardtheLarge]

They were issued not for medical reasons but for securing the opening at the top of short boots. When I joined the Army in 1975 we were still issued puttees and continued to wear them until high-leg boots were introduced.



A Housewife was a sewing kit. Here's my grandfather's WWII issue Housewife which I used all through my military service.

Interesting. They were explained to me in terms of leg compression in the Roman context, for example. Would you expect to see the puttee issued only in sandy climates, or were they a widespread casual version of spats?

Only joking about the housewife.

[Macman]

Interesting. They were explained to me in terms of leg compression in the Roman context, for example. Would you expect to see the puttee issued only in sandy climates, or were they a widespread casual version of spats?

Only joking about the housewife.

Here in Victoria (not sandy!) we wore them virtually all the time while kilted. This was in the early 70's, and I was not an officer. White spats were for full dress only.

[The Q]

In the RAF it was rare to wear putties, but I did on occasion as late as the mid 1980s. With boots DMS, which were a slightly over the ankle boot.
The housewife kit had long since stopped being issued, but I had my Dads button stick.
There is nothing casual about British Military uniform. Put your putties on incorrectly and your ears would soon be burning.

By my time in, Sewing kit, etc had to be bought by yourself, like boot polish and blanco.

[figheadair]

Interesting. They were explained to me in terms of leg compression in the Roman context, for example. Would you expect to see the puttee issued only in sandy climates, or were they a widespread casual version of spats?

We, non-Scottish regiment, never wore spats, only puttees, and in every climate. This was 1976.

Only joking about the housewife.

Thought that might be the case. Nonetheless some will no doubt never have seen one.