First World War uniforms

Rowe-Price, Catherine2018

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Summary

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 theatres 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 author's Great-Grandfather's war service as a backdrop, this book uncovers the textile industries and home front call to arms, the supply chain, salvage and repair workshops in France, and how soldiers maintained their uniform.