colour of army blankets ?

[Stanley_C_Jenkins]

I said that it was unlikely that blankets produced for the army during World War I in Witney were made of "shoddy" because Witney blankets were not normally made from such materials. Moreover, surviving documentation suggests that wool was purchased especially for the government contracts on the open market. Regarding the initial question about the colour of army blankets, there is no doubt that Witney-made army blankets were grey.

[Petegoldy]

I said that it was unlikely that blankets produced for the army during World War I in Witney were made of "shoddy" because Witney blankets were not normally made from such materials. Moreover, surviving documentation suggests that wool was purchased especially for the government contracts on the open market. Regarding the initial question about the colour of army blankets, there is no doubt that Witney-made army blankets were grey.

I doubt that quality Witney blankets were issued to ordinary soldiers after all they took the blanket from their beds into the field right up to 1964 when the sleeping bag was issued. I would think that Officers were issued with Witney Blankets, as would the hospitals. Any way I know for a fact that WO contract blankets were woven from reclaimed fibres.

Pete

[FROGSMILE]

I doubt that quality Witney blankets were issued to ordinary soldiers after all they took the blanket from their beds into the field right up to 1964 when the sleeping bag was issued. I would think that Officers were issued with Witney Blankets, as would the hospitals. Any way I know for a fact that WO contract blankets were woven from reclaimed fibres.

Pete

Contrary to popular myth the officers get exactly the same blankets as the soldiers unless they purchased their own. Blankets GS may well be made from reclaimed wool, although I am unclear how this would have been done in 1914-18, but the quality always had to meet WO specification, which was generally high.

[centurion]

Blankets GS may well be made from reclaimed wool, although I am unclear how this would have been done in 1914-18,

Shoddy was invented in 1813 by Benjiman Law. Its a process whereby all sorts of woolen material ( short ends, old woolen clothes etc) are ground up and produce a fibrous material which can then be spun into yarn and reused. By the begining of the 20th century there were several hundred factories (mainly in the Yorkshire area) producing the shoddy yarn which was then sold to manufacturers (such as blanket makers) all over the place. So it would have been no problem 1914-18

[steenie]

It maybe of interest that the Mungo and Shoddy mill still dominates the centre of Dewsbury. The mill, whilst being used for other purposes, still has the painted sign of Mungo and Shoddy enblazoned upon it in tall black and white lettering.

[Chief_Chum]

In 1998 The Khaki Chums were in Guernsey for an event to commemorate the return of the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry from France in 1918.

Late on the Saturday afternoon a local lady turned up with some of her Dad's momentoes of his Great War service. She said, "I've even got one of his blankets at home". Needless to say, we asked if we could see it and she brought it down the following day. From memory it was a greeny-olive khaki colour and certainly not grey and with no triple stripes (mind you, making bed blocks would have been pretty low priority in wartime). It had a large broad arrow and was dated 1917.

It was a lovely (if pretty threadbare) thing and she gave it to one of the Chums who lives on Guernsey.

I suspect that, just like 'greyback' shirts (which I have seen in a very wide variety of colours) they were supplied in a wide range of colours, tones and shades.