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British soldier's equipment 1916-18

60 second histories

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A description of a British soldier's equipment during 1916-18 showing how it adapted to suit the changing way the war was being fought

As the first world war progressed the British Army adapted its clothing and equipment to suit the changing way the war was being fought, especially in the trenches. Here I’m wearing a leather jerkin over my uniform, which offers better protection from the weather. My equipment’s mostly the same but it’s worn differently from the beginning of the war. The large pack, being too bulky for the trenches, is left behind the lines and in its place we carry a small pack with the mess tins fastened on the outside. We still wear a bayonet on our belts and carry a water bottle fastened to the cross straps here. My entrenching tool now hangs from the cross straps on the back and passes through the buckles on the rear of my belt, this offers me a bit of armoured protection over my bum. A tin hat has replaced my cap; it’s called a shrapnel helmet, and helps to protect my head. I also have a small box respirator now to protect me from a gas attack and we get to carry mills bombs and extra ammunition.
Eras: 
20th Century
WW1
Topics: 
Uniforms & Equipment
Character: 
WW1 British infantry soldier
Key words: 
First world war, WW1, soldier, British, infantry, uniform, equipment, 1916, 1918, jerkin, large pack, small pack, mess tins, bayonet, water bottle, cross straps, entrenching tool, shrapnel, helmet, box respirator, gas attack, mills bomb, ammunition, KS3, key stage 3, key stage 3 history, secondary, KS3 videos, KS3 clips, KS3 history, KS3 videos, KS3 history film, KS3 history clip, WW1, World War I, World War One, World War 1, Y7, Y8, Y9, Year 7, year 8, year 9, 20thC, 20C, 20th Century, 20th C,