Puttees

[T8HANTS]

Officers puttees could be lighter and in a different material to OR's.

G

[PhilB]

Was that official? A different stores designation? I ask because many (most?) officers wore puttees which looked the same as ORs`.

[Andrew Upton]

QUOTE (Phil_B @ Oct 15 2009, 10:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Was that official? A different stores designation? I ask because many (most?) officers wore puttees which looked the same as ORs`.

Most Officers would have probably bought there own puttees made by Foxes, the best maker. Available in a range of colours (khaki for field use and lighter tan ones for dress use were popular military ones), as T8 said these were of a better/finer material to ordinary OR's puttees, and using "Fox's Improved Patent" they were actually steamed into a slightly odd shape that meant they curved to fit the leg much better. I have an original tan pair, and they go on a dream compared to my replica straight OR's ones (even with years of wearing them to stretch them into shape).

[T8HANTS]

Even the gentlemen of the opposition wore them!

G

[steenie]

I have recently read an autobiography by an Australian of the Great War. It is on the book shelves now as I bought it passing through Stansted airport a few months ago. I am vague on the name of the book or the writer (how bad of me), as I leant it to a friends being so impressed by it. What this Aussie chap said, that they soon got rid of their puttees in the trenches and replaced them by cutting up the sacks they were carrying for sand bags as a replacement. The reason for this was, that issue puttees soon came loose and fell down.

[PhilB]

Puttees were available in a range of contemporary colours. Well.. two actually: black (for RTR & Gurkhas) and khaki (for the rest). On rare occasions, puttees could be seen being worn with shoes; invariably by officers, and more than likely RAF ones.

http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/Puttees

Two current Canadian infantry were given nicknames based on non-standard puttees they wore: The Royal Newfoundland and the 48th Highlanders of Canada48th Highlanders of Canada

At the outbreak of World War 1 the Dominion of Newfoundland raised a regiment to fight. Lacking a local militia or garrison of soldiers, there were no military stores; uniforms had to be fashioned from scratch. Lacking khaki broadcloth, puttees were fashioned from blue broadcloth. The Newfoundland Regiment was thus nicknamed "The Blue Puttees".

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Puttee

[Chris Martin]

Speaking as to the comfort of the puttees, I remember reading an account of a lad who had joined the CLB in St. John's, Newfoundland when I was doing some research in their archive a few years back. Unfortunatly I can't find his name right now, but it may have been William Coultas, and in a memoir written decades later he spoke about his CLB experience.

He said his aunt gave him the money to buy his uniform and at first he loved the idea of being in uniform, which then consisted of a blue pill box, blue sweater, blue breeches, blue puttees, and a white haversack. He stated he loved it untill he had to walk to the armoury. His route lead him up Patrick Street, which is a very steep hill here in St. John's. According to him the puttees constricted and cut into his legs so much that he wanted to quit. He approached his mother and told her he was quitting but she would not let him given that his aunt had paid for the uniform and she was apparently quite a stern woman and his mother did not want to cross her, so he had no choise but to stay in. After a few agonizing trips he finally talked to one of the older boys who showed him how to properly wear his puttees. After that he found them quite comfortable and loved the CLB, and if it is Coultas, which I feel it was, he eventually became a long serving commanding officer of the Brigade in St. John's.

As for the above mention of the NFLD Rgt. and its nickname the of Blue Puttees, the distinction was also applied to specefic men within the regiment. Being known as a blue puttee was a sign of distinction as a vetern, one of the origional enlistees. Only the first men to join the regiment in August and September of 1914 were issued the blue puttee, there after all men recived the proper khakai puttee, even the blue puttees quickly obtained standard khakai puttees upon arrival in Britain as they felt the iregular kit singled them out as being non-professional, a lable they worked hard to avoid. Both Owen Steele and Frank Lind speake to this drive to be taken as serious soldiers in their letters home.

Chris

[Chief_Chum]

"The reason for this was, that issue puttees soon came loose and fell down"

They never do if they are tied properly.

It was very common to tie sandbags around the puttees in muddy conditions just to keep the puttees cleaner so they were easier to take off for foot inspection every day.

"Puttees were available in a range of contemporary colours. Well.. two actually: black (for RTR & Gurkhas) and khaki (for the rest). On rare occasions, puttees could be seen being worn with shoes; invariably by officers, and more than likely RAF ones."

There were a lot more colours than that. Many regiments of the Indian Army had different coloured puttees.

When Foxes were closing down in the early 1990s, Mo Stokes of the Khaki Chums went to the factory in Wellington and bought the last stocks of long khaki puttees but he said they still had plenty in all kinds of weird and wonderful colours. Another Chum bought a boxful of new dark blue ones with the Foxes cardboard labels still around them, ready for the day when we have to recreate the original recruits of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.

Even the khaki ones come in a very wide range of khaki!

Cheers,

Taff

[speake]

Thankfully the revival of puttees in the early 1980s faded away

[Chief_Chum]

Oh, I don't know. I think they would look quite fetching with khaki...

[Steven Broomfield]

Can I suggest Mr Peake is suspended from the Forum for - ooh - three years for such wanton and cavalier use of 80's iconography?

[speake]

Getting Physical (physical) are we?

[speake]

There was also the body puttee, but as it required an enormous number of safety pins (173-3" standard issue Sheffield steel pins) to keep it in position, it was abandoned.

[Steven Broomfield]

Blimey. Ms Newton-John has let herself go.

[ejcmartin]

As a civilian who took part in Taff's earlier mentioned project CBC's "The Great War" reenactments I found them perfectly fine for comfort. Thanks to Taff's tremendous lessons I was able to have my on properly within a couple minutes of waking at reveille!

[Guest]

Did any regular german WWI infantry  substitute woolen socks pulled over pants instead of puttees. ..

I know mountain troops did this..was it acceptable.. permitted? .ty

[trajan]

First off, remember that - if I am correct - puttees (Wickelgamaschen) were not regular issue to German troops other than the mountain boys and fly-bods, but were adopted by 'ordinary' soldiers as the war progressed and trench warfare became the norm.

 

The standard German footwear was the 'jackboot' although ankle boots were around, but I don't think that they were regular issue. There is many a photograph (and many a story also) indicating that German troops on the west front stole the boots of dead GB and that ankle boots were preferred over the 'jackboot'. But socks over Wickelgamaschen? Never say no, but I can't recall seeing a photograph showing such except in the case of the mountain boys.

 

By the way, if I recall properly, although the lads in the trenches were wearing these Wickelgamaschen from as early as 1915, I think they were officially banned that year for health reasons, while on 14/09/17 an official order was issued stating that they could only be worn by members of "... Fliegerformationen, planmäßige Sturm-Bataillone und Truppen mit Gebirgsausrüstung ..." 

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, trajan said:

First off, remember that - if I am correct - puttees (Wickelgamaschen) were not regular issue to German troops other than the mountain boys and fly-bods, but were adopted by 'ordinary' soldiers as the war progressed and trench warfare became the norm.

 

The standard German footwear was the 'jackboot' although ankle boots were around, but I don't think that they were regular issue. There is many a photograph (and many a story also) indicating that German troops on the west front stole the boots of dead GB and that ankle boots were preferred over the 'jackboot'. But socks over Wickelgamaschen? Never say no, but I can't recall seeing a photograph showing such except in the case of the mountain boys.

 

By the way, if I recall properly, although the lads in the trenches were wearing these Wickelgamaschen from as early as 1915, I think they were officially banned that year for health reasons, while on 14/09/17 an official order was issued stating that they could only be worn by members of "... Fliegerformationen, planmäßige Sturm-Bataillone und Truppen mit Gebirgsausrüstung ..." 

 

What did the Austro-Hungarian forces wear?  I vaguely recall seeing that some of their Balkan forces wore other than jackboots.

Edited 16 September , 2017 by FROGSMILE

[MaureenE]

Earlier in this topic, some years ago, there was discussion about how to wrap puttees

http://www.vemra.org/blog/2016/9/30/puttee Puttee tying tutorial

Included is the following YouTube video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=149&v=PwYzBL-zZmE

Includes a few turns in the herringbone style, to help keep a firm fit.

Cheers

Maureen

 

 

Edited 17 September , 2017 by Maureene

[trajan]

23 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

 

What did the Austro-Hungarian forces wear?  I vaguely recall seeing that some of their Balkan forces wore other than jackboots.

 

Honestly I have never looked into the uniform or equipment of the KuK for one or other reason, so can't answer that! 

[Steven Broomfield]

I have an old Almark book (remember them?) on the KuK and I vaguely recall puttees or stout socks. I'll try and find it (I think I know where it's hideen - just depends if I can reach it).

[Uncle George]

My father, born 1930, tells me that he wore puttees while serving with the Hong Kong Regiment in the late 50s. I just thought I'd mention it ... 

[FROGSMILE]

3 hours ago, Steven Broomfield said:

I have an old Almark book (remember them?) on the KuK and I vaguely recall puttees or stout socks. I'll try and find it (I think I know where it's hideen - just depends if I can reach it).

 

Yes, Steven, it was my vague recollection of that Almark book that made me ask the question.  I think that there were puttees and also foot wrapping.

[Steven Broomfield]

Day off tomorrow. I'll see if I can find it.

[Stoppage Drill]

47 minutes ago, Steven Broomfield said:

Day off tomorrow. I'll see if I can find it.

 

Won't you be spending the day vacuuming ?

 

My copy of  "Army Uniforms of World War 1" by Andrew Mollo and Pierre Turner (Blandford Press, 1977) shows Austrian infantry in puttees, both Officers and Other Ranks, or pantaloons worn with knee length woollen stockings.

 

The pantaloons are a normal fairly loose trouser down to the knee, then buttoned tightly over the calf, the woollen stockings worn over.

Edited 17 September , 2017 by Stoppage Drill