First World War Uniforms: Lives, Logistics, and Legacy in British Army Uniform Production, 1914-1918

by Catherine Price-Rowe

Overview

View any image of a Tommy and his uniform becomes an assumed item, few would consider where and how that uniform was made. Over 5 million men served on the Western Front, they all required clothing. From August 1914 to March 1919, across all theaters of operations, over 28 million pairs of trousers and c.360 million yards of various cloth was manufactured.Worn by men of all ranks the uniform created an identity for the fighting forces, distinguished friend from foe, gave the enlisted man respect, a sense of unity whilst at the same time stripping away his identity, turning a civilian into a soldier. Men lived, worked, slept, fought and died in their uniform.Using the authors great-grandfather's war service as a backdrop, this book will uncover the textile industries and home front call to arms, the supply chain, salvage and repair workshops in France, and how soldiers maintained their uniform on the front line.Items of a soldiers uniform can become a way to remember and are often cherished by families, creating a tangible physical link with the past, but the durability of cloth to withstand time can create an important legacy. The fallen are still discovered today and remnants of uniform can help to identify them, at the very least the color of cloth or type of hob nail can give the individual his nationality allowing them to be given a final resting place.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781473883819
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date:	01/24/2020
Series:	Modern Conflict Archaeology
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	232
File size:	18 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Catherine is a fourth-generation dressmaker with a City and Guilds qualification in design, pattern drafting and garment construction, establishing her own bespoke dressmaking business in 2000\. Combining a life long passion for history, family history and historical fashion led to her becoming a member of The Garrison Artillery Volunteers. Thus, beginning the interest in First and Second World War uniforms and fashion. Engaging with the public, Catherine regularly attends events around Britain with displays on Make do and Mend, Finding the Missing, Uniform Production and Women at War.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 7

British Military Abbreviations & Acronyms 9

Modern Conflict Archaeology 12

Introduction - Where It All Begins 15

Chapter 1 Where's My Uniform? 25

Chapter 2 The Real 'Material' Culture 50

Chapter 3 Factory to Front 74

Chapter 4 Laundering the War 97

Chapter 5 Salvage and Recycling - Materials and Men 118

Chapter 6 Coming Home 137

Chapter 7 Finding George - The Afterlife of Military Clothing 154

Appendices

Appendix A Cloth Manufacture 168

Appendix B Director's responsibilities within Quartermaster General 172

Appendix C Corps/Division Compositions 173

Family Research - Useful Websites/Information 174

Places to Visit - Textile Heritage Today 179

Bibliography 183

End Notes 194

Index 225

Editorial Reviews

Initially, I was a bit surprised when I received this book as I’d anticipated something quite different. However, when I started the read I became more interested in how the British textile industry and defense establishment evolved to supply five million men serving on the Western Front with their clothing.

AMPS