Laundry!?

[pinchd528]

Can anyone help with Field Hygiene information. I can trace Mobile Laundry and Bath units back to WW2, with links to Korea and other moden conflicts. I have also found links on the subject to Richard 1 (the lionheart) and the crusades but I can't find anything on WW1. Did they have mobile laundry or showers (baths) or was everything done on a self-help basis, in a bucket! What about the hospitals!

A bit obscure maybe and I know the loggie stuff is thin to find, but in anticipation, thanks.

[Ron Clifton]

Hello dbpinch

Hospitals and other medical units had "in-house" arrangements for these.

Front line troops would use facilities in towns behind the lines, organised in 1917-18 by the Divisional Employment Company, a unit of the Labour Corps. Prior to that, I believe arrangements were made through Town or Area Commandants.

Breweries were commonly used, the brewing vats providing facilities for both laundry and bathing.

At the coastal bases, especially Etaples, I believe that sea=bathing was encouraged, although possibly as a supplement to, rather than in replacement of, proper hot-water facilities.

A limited amount of shirt and sock washing could be done in support trenches, or local estaminets might provide this service at a modest cost.

WW1 being (in France at least) more static in nature than many campaigns, use of local facilities in this way was more feasible than on occasions before or since. In WW2, for instance, there were not many breweries or estaminets in the Western Desert!

Ron

[Michael Johnson]

In some mining areas of France, the mines had bathing facilities.

[dycer]

Seems to have been a mixture of self help and organisation e.g.

From the War Diary of a Pioneer Battalion.

Armentieres

4th September 1916-Owing to the Battalion being so scattered it was decided for the time being at any rate not to fit up a bath-house of our own,but to make use of the excellent Divisional Bath House at Pont de Nieppe.The Battalion allotment was 3-5 p.m. on Mondays & Tuesdays-the capacity of the Bath House being 200-250 men per hour.

George

[Cliff. Hobson]

Extract from an account by Har., Drabble 4th S. Staffs.

" You never took your boots off in three weeks, never got the rest of your clothes off either. Not many baths I remember one night going to an old farm house and there were some men boiling a copper and we'd got some casks sawn in two, they allowed you two minutes in one half of the casks. The best bath I can remember. Don't know how many men had been in the water before me they just kept warming it up"

Regards Cliff

[truthergw]

I think Mr Drabble would be referring to very early days. By the start of 1915, foot inspections on a daily basis and foot hygiene generally was being enforced with whale oil applied after washing. Too many men were going sick with trench foot. Men carried spare socks and when not in the front trench, were encouraged to wash, shave, wash your socks, on a daily basis. The British Army was always very keen on personal hygiene. Winston Churchill had a bath in the front line. Whether he shared it with his men, I do not know. I expect they would have to bring their own bath salts if he did.

[centurion]

There was at least one mobile laundry unit (see photo) as well as de lousing units (of varying efficiency) one of the most effective being reckoned to be the Australian 'Itchy Kitchy' Machine

[centurion]

I think Mr Drabble would be referring to very early days. By the start of 1915, foot inspections on a daily basis and foot hygiene generally was being enforced with whale oil applied after washing. Too many men were going sick with trench foot. Men carried spare socks and when not in the front trench, were encouraged to wash, shave, wash your socks, on a daily basis. The British Army was always very keen on personal hygiene. Winston Churchill had a bath in the front line. Whether he shared it with his men, I do not know. I expect they would have to bring their own bath salts if he did.

There were a number of motorised bath units, one being run by a women's volunteer unit. We always have the famous lines of Lord Curzon ( a snob's snob) on being taken to a field bath house "I never realised that the working classes could have such white skins" You'd certainly have to bring your own cigar and brandy if you shared a bath with WSC.

[David B]

Going thru the war diaries of 3rd Aust Pioneers there are several references to construction - from their own design -

of portable baths to be used by Artillery units, Regimental baths being placed at disposal of 11 inf bn. ASC and TMB

units. No doubt these would have been well appreciated and well used after long stints in the trenches.

david

[wig]

This may be a little off topic but might be of interest to your research!

A Clean War:

Three years of hard slog at Blackdown, square-bashing and war games. Turned from a boy to a trained killer � The world then became your oyster and wonderful exotic postings opened up. It was the fag end of the empire but the army still had bases all across the world, all in need of these highly trained young squaddies. How did they tell you where you were to be posted? I don�t remember any notice boards, probably just told by the platoon sgt. Anyway there were plenty of postings to Germany � to Monchen-Gladbach, Celle, Bracht, Viersen and so on, even more went to Blighty bases in Kineton, Chilwell and god knows where. Some of us though were to strike it lucky. Active Service. And so it was that after all that hard top rank training I was posted, straight out of boy service, to an active war zone, to the glamorous and exotic Laundry and Bath Unit, in deepest Borneo.

What can you say about war service in a Laundry and bath unit? It�s not the kind of military record you tend to talk about, be it in the pub or at regimental reunions. In fact, when asked, you tend to keep quiet and mutter something about not wanting to talk about your military experience. It gets to the stage that you are so reluctant to talk about it that your workmates begin to suspect it�s because you must have been in the Special Forces. One of course, does not deny such rumours. I confess that at times, under the influence of alcohol, that I admitted belonging to a very special squad of the SAS, which recruited overweight shortsighted volunteers who had a morbid fear of loud bangs and severe trouble with hand eye co-ordination. We were a very elite unit. In fact it wasn�t that bad a chat up line. You tended to end up with women who were either very very stupid or who at least had a reasonable sense of humour.

You will know from your own knowledge that Laundry and bath units don�t feature much in military biographies. You don�t see books on the �Uniforms of Bath Unit Operatives� in the same way as you often see those endless albums of Special Forces books. It has become the case that books on the SAS have replaced the flood of books that used to be published on the NAZIS. There used to be countless volumes featuring a swastika and the SS flashes:-. Books on �SS tactics on the Western Front� or �Uniforms of the SS Panzer Divisions� and �Weapons of the SS� and �SS insignia of the death camps� It is now perfectly obvious that the winged dagger and the SAS flashes have replaced, in the publishing world, the swastika and the SS flashes. I have even seen a book on �SAS Recipies�. I am afraid the chances of the Laundry and Bath Unit memoirs featuring in this publishing goldmine are pretty slim. �Ironing techniques of the Laundry and Bath Unit� might find a niche market, but otherwise we shall have to remain as unsung heroes of the military. Only once has a Laundry and Bath Unit ever featured in a major movie. It was in the �St. Trinians� series and for some reason, now lost to movie history, the St. Trinian�s girls were sent out to the Middle East and landed somewhere in the desert to be met by a Laundry and Bath Unit guard of honour. The squaddies were lined up in front of tin baths with loofas held in the present arms position. It was a significant appearance and has probably been written into the history of bath units, perhaps even stitched into the regimental colours as a battle honour. Incidentally their regimental colours are the best-pressed and most sparkling clean colours of any in the British Army. I have included with this brief confession a few photographs of a real Laundry and Bath Unit in action in the Borneo Jungles during that brief war against Indonesia.(providing this site will take them) The unit played a significant role in the ultimate success of that war. Troops from the fighting units, filthy after weeks of chasing the enemy through primary jungle would find it slightly surreal to emerge in their filth to be met by a unit offering them a hot shower and a complete change of clothing. All kinds of fighting units received signals to rendezvous with the brave Bath unit, operating on the front lines of the action. I recall a small unit of Special Forces soldiers, mostly Australian, looking remarkably pale and extremely malnourished, coming out and not saying a single word before going back in with fresh clothes. And a Ghurkha unit, elated after a successful ambush, very shy about undressing and excited and impatient to get back in for more kills. Such was the effect on the morale of our fighting soldiers that it is reasonable to assume that the Indonesians specifically targeted the bath unit for elimination.. Had their leading units ever reached the bath unit perimeter they would have faced a formidable force of battle hardened Blackdown trained bath unit operatives, prepared to defend their unit to the last bar of soap. Surely such knowledge must have struck fear into the political and military leadership of the Indonesian Army. And can there be a bath unit operative still alive who is in any doubt that such fear contributed to the eventual surrender of the Indonesians? Regrettably, I have had to disguise the identity of the Bath Unit operatives. This is of course for security reasons. Some soldiers got the wrong laundry back. And as you all well know, squaddies just don�t forget things like that!

So what do you really say when your young son asks what kind of soldier your were and were you ever in a war and did you ever kill anyone and did you have your own tank and how many people did you kill and were you ever shot at or wounded and were you scared and can you still kill with your bare hands and ....and�. Well, my war son, my war was in fact very clean�..

bath unit on borneo river ... ...

.

[Eirian]

Quoting from War Diary of 10th Bn. Queen's R.W.Surrey Regiment

2nd - 7th December 1917 VOLPAGO (ITALY)

"... A certain amount of sickness (diarrhoea) appeared in the bn. Great difficulty was found in these billets shared by or in the vicinity of Italians to induce them to conform in any way to our ideas of hygiene. . . "

Baths were not mentioned until 27th December.

[Terry_Reeves]

At The National Archives:

WO 95/1016 Corps Baths and Laundry 1916 June - 1918 Oct.

TR

[Eirian]

2nd - 7th December 1917 VOLPAGO (ITALY)

"... A certain amount of sickness (diarrhoea) appeared in the bn. . . . "

This point in the war diary above, is corroborated by a family letter sent from Italy on 5 Feb 1918 by Pte CE White.

He can't quite spell diarea (!), but it is obviously part of the same problem as described in the diary.

I hadn't made the connection between the dates before . . .

[pinchd528]

Thanks guys. This is terrific. I didn't expect such responce and it has given me a lot to move forward with. Once again Thank you.

[pinchd528]

This may be a little off topic but might be of interest to your research!

A Clean War:

Three years of hard slog at Blackdown, square-bashing and war games. Turned from a boy to a trained killer � The world then became your oyster and wonderful exotic postings opened up. It was the fag end of the empire but the army still had bases all across the world, all in need of these highly trained young squaddies. How did they tell you where you were to be posted? I don�t remember any notice boards, probably just told by the platoon sgt. Anyway there were plenty of postings to Germany � to Monchen-Gladbach, Celle, Bracht, Viersen and so on, even more went to Blighty bases in Kineton, Chilwell and god knows where. Some of us though were to strike it lucky. Active Service. And so it was that after all that hard top rank training I was posted, straight out of boy service, to an active war zone, to the glamorous and exotic Laundry and Bath Unit, in deepest Borneo.

Thanks for this Wig, I think I came upon it before on an RAOC website, not sure....

I may be pushing my luck but, can put an author or date to it?

[wig]

I'm afraid it was my war and my piece!! Got some photographs if you are interested...

Name is John McGuiggan, period was about '64

[pinchd528]

I'm afraid it was my war and my piece!! Got some photographs if you are interested...

Name is John McGuiggan, period was about '64

John, thanks again for all this. I'm currently involved with delivering training on moden laundry and shower equipment. Students rarly volunteer for the courses and my research, as well as out of personal interest, is aimed at giving a deeper insight to the roll and history and hopefully enthusing them a little more.

I would appreciate the photos, also do you mind if I use your "script".

David

[wig]

John, thanks again for all this. I'm currently involved with delivering training on moden laundry and shower equipment. Students rarly volunteer for the courses and my research, as well as out of personal interest, is aimed at giving a deeper insight to the roll and history and hopefully enthusing them a little more.

I would appreciate the photos, also do you mind if I use your "script".

David

send me an email address. send to wig@fourcourts.net

[catfishmo]

On 5/24/2009 at 17:15, pinchd528 said:

John, thanks again for all this. I'm currently involved with delivering training on moden laundry and shower equipment. Students rarly volunteer for the courses and my research, as well as out of personal interest, is aimed at giving a deeper insight to the roll and history and hopefully enthusing them a little more.

I would appreciate the photos, also do you mind if I use your "script".

David

Would love for you to share your findings of laundry and showering in WWI if you still have any of the info.

I found an interesting reference to the "Divisional Bath and laundry and disinfesting plant at Pont, de Nieppe." P 176 (NZ troops)

 

 “One of the most important sanitary considerations was the supervision of the divisional baths and laundry and disinfesting plant established at Pont, de Nieppe in a disused bleach works on the banks of the Lys facing Armentières and just north of the bridge. For the use of the bleach works the British Army paid a rental, and the plant was very suitable for the purposes both of baths and laundry: the huge vats used pre war for bleaching linen yarn with Eau de Javel, the substantial hydraulic presses and the copious supply of hot water from the large boilers were appliances adequate to all purposes. The Pont de Nieppe baths were well known on the English front as the first large institution of the kind to be established—by the 6th Division who were quartered in Armentières in the winter of 1914-1915. The large vats made surprising tubs for the men to bathe in; the hydro-extractors, rotary driers, the hydraulic presses and the extensive drying rooms, all used in the linen industry, were quite suited to the purposes of a laundry, so that several of these "blanchisseries" became operable as laundries at various points on the Lys in 1915. A large personnel partly military, partly civilian was employed at Pont de Nieppe: 1 officer, 2 sergeants and 65 O.R. N.Z.M.C. were supplied by No. 1 New Zealand Field Ambulance; the washing, ironing and mending staff comprised 185 women under a forewoman; the general control and direction was the duty of the Medical Officer in charge. Roughly, some 1200 men could bathe, be disinfested, and have their washing done in one day. Apart from the comfort which the hot bath provided the chief object in view was disinfestation of the clothing, which was attained by ironing with hot irons and brushing with special steel brushes—in the case of the outer clothing—the women being instructed in the method of searching for and destroying the lice ova, mainly hidden in the inner seams of the trousers or pantaloons. The under clothing was subjected to boiling in disinfectants, washed, dried and subsequently repaired. The wool of condemned socks was unravelled and used by highly expert darners in the mending of those that could be made serviceable. …. The work done by the baths in the last fortnight of May was considerable: 446 officers, 21,675 men bathed; 13,779 shirts and 13,746 pairs of socks washed, with a corresponding tally of under-clothing; the total number of pieces washed; 99,066. The consumption of coal was from 30 to 35 tons a week; soap 1½ tons; PAGE 178soda 1 ton; buttons, 200 gross. In the month of June, 36,483 bathers attended the baths, the average daily number of bathers was 1,300; nearly a quarter of a million pieces were washed. Besides these special bathing establishments the municipal swimming baths were reopened by us and used during June and July, Medical details taking over the management, and aquatic sports were organised in August.

 

 

 

[toto123]

This will interest my bro in law who lives in Nieppe. I believe the baths were still used in WW2 and are referenced in a book.