Bathing facilities and habits of the soldiers and officers of the army

[Skipman]

This is an American book but am sure applies to British Army?

Bathing facilities and habits of the soldiers and officers of the army

Mike

[Moonraker]

Before the war and in its early months, bathing facilities at many British camps were very primitive - sometimes the local river. (This may not have been too bad in summer, and river-bathing was not uncommon then - decades ago, there was a bathing-pond about four miles from me, with the owner charging a small fee - until the council decreed he had to pay rates on it!) Early in the war, there was a bathing-pool in the River Avon for cadets at Number One Cavalry Depot, based at Netheravon House. Crockerton Pond,near Warminster, was also used - a labourer from a nearby camp drowned there in June 1915.

Pre-war summer camping-sites on Salisbury Plain had open bathing-pools with wooden fences and shower heads. There are quite a few postcards showing soldiers using them.

In 1915 the 152nd Field Coy, Royal Engineers, was camped in or near Tidworth Park Camp. A E Henderson (in memoirs kept by the Imperial War Museum) recalled how he never had a bath. But later that year G Buckeridge (whose memoirs are also at the IWM) was with the 37th Divisional Signalling Company found on arrival only latrines on the site but "our C.O.’s genius for improvisation in a very short time … had the place made comfortable" with an improved water supply, baths, wash and cook houses, and dining rooms.

The new hutted camps on the Plain all had interior bathing facilities with hot water, often remarked on with appreciation in memoirs. Australian Jacko Thompson moved to Perham Down Camp in October 1917. There (and, no doubt, in other camps), it was "ABSOLUTELY COMPULSORY" (Thompson's capitals) for everyone to have at least one bath a week, though he aimed for three.

Moonraker

[centurion]

There was a mill pond on the Western front that was physically accessible from both sides of no mans land. An unofficial arrangement was made as to which side had access for bathing on what days this is mentioned in the Live and let Live System. One imagines that officers on both sides turned a blind eye to the arrangement in the interests of hygiene

[MBrockway]

There was a mill pond on the Western front that was physically accessible from both sides of no mans land. An unofficial arrangement was made as to which side had access for bathing on what days this is mentioned in the Live and let Live System. One imagines that officers on both sides turned a blind eye to the arrangement in the interests of hygiene

Where exactly was this, cent?

[centurion]

I'm physically separated from my copy of the book - will look it up this evening

[MBrockway]

Any news on this millpond? I was planning on posting a map of the location once that's been confirmed.

[MBrockway]

From a selective preview version of the book, it looks like it's on p.132 ...

[source: Trench Warfare: The Live & Let Live System - Tony Ashworth (1980) - p.132]

Any chance you could post the detail from the Blunden source? The footnote is not availble on the web preview where I found the gobbet above.

Thanks in advance!

Mark

[8055Bell]

Notes from Pt A Bell in trenches near Maricourt in 1916. http://17thmanchesters.wordpress.com/early-days-in-france/maricourt-defences-somme/

“Next in France, I remember bathing with others of the platoon in a very small pond, and myself receiving a sharp bite from a gnat or mosquito. It raised a small lump.

Then there was the time when two of us bathed in a canal in our nothings. A passing bargee lady called out “You swim, me no look” only partly covering her eyes with her fingers!

We worked our way through a factory containing large wooden tubs. There was no false modesty there – no embarrassment of the female staff.”

“Only once in France did I have a Divisional shower. In charge of the arrangements was an old school mate of mine, nicknamed “Polly”. He had the patter off perfectly. The effect was that we undressed, “showered”, died and dressed again, like bottles of the brewery. Talk about a time-table – no water, or soap wasted there!”

IWM Q914

[MBrockway]

From a selective preview version of the book, it looks like it's on p.132 ...

Trench Warfare - The Live & Let Live System - Ashworth, T (1980, p.132).jpg

[source: Trench Warfare: The Live & Let Live System - Tony Ashworth (1980) - p.132]

Any chance you could post the detail from the Blunden source? The footnote is not available on the web preview where I found the gobbet above.

Thanks in advance!

Mark

I've been lucky enough to get a copy of Ashworth for Xmas, so happily I can complete centurion's loose end.

Blunden was describing a stretch of canal in the sector he occupied with 11/Royal Sussex Regt in Summer 1916.

Ashworth's citation is to p.80 of Blunden's Undertones of War, Second Edition, 1930.

If any Pal has a copy then perhaps we may even be able to get a more precise date and cross reference to the 11/Royal Sussex war diary to ID the actual location?

[wig]

This is not about WW1 but is an insight into laundry and bath units of the modern army.......

https://broadsidesdotme.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/borneo-a-clean-war/