For centuries, the British army was known for its bright red coats, but by the late
19th century those uniforms were no longer practical in the field, and by World War One
their uniforms had evolved considerably, and that’s what I’m going to talk about today.
I’m Indy Neidell; welcome to a Great War special episode about British army uniforms
in the First World War.
Let’s look back a bit.
The accurate long range repeating rifles of the late 19th century did indeed make the
bright scarlet uniforms impractical since they stood out as targets, and the British
army fought in red for the final time at the Battle of Ginnis in 1885. After that, khaki
field dress was worn. Khaki had been worn in India since the 1850s and steadily grew
in popularity. In 1902, the khaki Field Service dress was introduced, though the red coats
were still used for parades and home service.
This uniform was revolutionary in that the same tunic and cap was now worn by both infantry
and cavalry, and by 1914 uniform differences between those two branches had all but disappeared,
with only small variations like in button style and cap badges remaining. The cavalry
did not, however, use the webbing the infantry used to carry ammunition, instead using the
1903 Pattern leather bandolier.
When World War One began, the British army uniform was one of the most practical of all
the warring nations.
Khaki gave better concealment than the French blue and red or German field grey uniforms.
The standard British uniform, from head to toe included: the 1905 Pattern dress service
cap, a woolen peaked cap with an oilskin lining, yes, it made you sweat. The cap had a regimental
badge and a brown leather chinstrap. Soldiers still wore the 1902 tunic, fastened by five
buttons, and with reinforced shoulder straps with the soldier’s regiment or Corps in
metal on them. Tunics had four large pockets with flaps and buttons. NCO rank was sewn
on to the tunic’s upper arms with badges and stripes on the lower sleeves for things
like long service, good conduct, number of times wounded, or special skills. Worn underneath
the tunic was a collarless blue-grey standard issue shirt.
The trousers were also 1902s and worn with braces or a belt. The lower leg was wrapped
in khaki cloth puttees, wound counter clockwise, and providing support and protection. Soldiers
often slid their cutlery into their puttees to keep them safe. On his feet, the average
British soldier wore brown leather “ammunition boots” with hobnail-studded soles.
As the war progressed, there were a few uniform changes.
The tunic was simplified and the service cap was supplemented by the winter service, or
Gorblimey cap, but the big change in headgear was the Brodie helmet. Introduced in 1915
and made widely available in early 1916, they were sometimes called shrapnel helmets and
were painted a drab khaki. The helmet was designed by John Brodie and was steel with
a double inside liner. All troops, regardless of rank, wore them. Almost 8 million had been
produced by the war’s end.
Over their uniforms, the British infantry were equipped with 1908 Mk 2 webbing from
which all of their kit hung. This included 150 rounds of ammo, entrenching tools, a bayonet,
a canteen, and a small pack for clothing and rations.
Officers’ uniforms differed in a number of ways from that of the regular soldiers.
For starters, their uniforms were privately purchased from military tailors, though made
to a standard pattern. In 1914, the new pattern was single-breasted with an open collar and
narrow lapels. This was worn over a drab shirt and khaki tie. Like the regular soldiers’
tunic, the officers’ had four pockets and five buttons, but officers wore their rank
insignia on their cuffs, enclosed in lace. Their uniforms often favored breeches over
trousers, and tall boots. Officers’ equipment included field glasses, a compass, a .455
caliber Webley revolver, and the 1897 Pattern officers’ sword. These were worn suspended
from Sam Browne belts.
When the war began, officers carried their swords into the field, but that resulted in
scenes like that described by John Lucy at the Battle of the Aisne, where he saw 9 of
his regiment’s officers “...waving their naked swords” killed in a single day. The
swords marked the officers as choice targets for enemy marksmen. By 1915, officers could
most often decide for themselves if they carried swords into battle or not, and by 1916 they
were ordered to send their swords back to Britain.
Also by 1916, the high death toll among officers meant that many men were commissioned from
the ranks, and poorer soldiers did not have the means to purchase tailored officers uniforms.
The War Office began giving a 50 pound uniform grant so that officers could all equip themselves
to an “acceptable standard”.
General and staff officers had further uniform variety.
General officers had their insignia not on their cuffs, but on their shoulder straps.
You could tell staff officers from battalion officers by the red tabs worn on their collars
overlaid with gold chain braid denoting rank and staff affiliation. Admin officers had
blue patches and intelligence officers had green patches. Armbands were commonly worn
by divisional and brigade staff to show their branch of service.
The British army also adapted its uniforms to the climate in which the soldiers found
themselves.
That army fought all over the world and colonial experience helped with creating uniforms that
could hope with the heat of the day or the cold of night. The warm weather uniform was
a cotton khaki drill uniform with both trousers and shorts. It was a lighter khaki than the
1902 dress. In hot climates, like Palestine or Gallipoli, soldiers often wore just their
grey undershirts. Also in warmer climates, the Wolseley Helmet was common. It was cork
and covered in cloth.
But the first winter of the war saw the British army scramble to equip its men for the cold
of the Western Front.
They issued goatskins to be worn over the tunics. These would be used throughout the
war, as well as greatcoats and fleece jackets. Those last were nicknamed Wooly Bears or Teddy
Bears for their appearance and Stinkers for the smell they gave off when damp. Leather
jerkins provided some protection from rain, and they were mainly sleeveless and lined
with the wool used to make blankets. They were quite well liked by the troops, as they
were warm but still allowed freedom of movement. These were still being issued in the Second
World War.
Now, there were tons of variations depending on the origin of the unit.
Canadian, Australian, Indian, New Zealand, South African, and so on all broadly followed
British uniform patterns but with differences. Sometimes big differences. Even in the home
isles, the Highlander Regiments, for example, wore kilts with khaki aprons over them to
reduce visibility, but all that is a topic big enough for a special of its own, which
we’ll do later on.
Today was just a general look at the most standard British army uniforms of the war.
Actually, it’s quite an interesting topic and I encourage you to look it up yourself
to learn more about it, since if you have an army it’s not just enough to give them
guns and some strategy, you have to dress them to best protect them from both the enemy
and the elements, and how you do that can have a significant effect on the individual
battles and on the outcome of the war as a whole.
Thank you Matthew Moss.