U.S. Army Uniforms of World War One

A Puttee Advertisement
(The American Legion Weekly, 1919)

This advertisement was placed in an American veteran’s magazine as an attempt to produce some profit from the vast surplus of uniform items that remained in all the combatant nations at war’s end. Puttees, unlike other uniform items, enjoyed a brief moment in fashion’s spotlight during the late teens and much the twenties as an accessory for those who enjoyed camping and hunting (or simply wished to affect the look).

Also included is a fashion photograph of puttees from a VANITY FAIR fashion editorial from 1917

Puttees In–Leggings Out
(The Stars and Stripes, 1919)

Shortly after training in France began it was discovered that the leggings of the American Army were no match for the moisture of the French countryside and so puttees were issued for the whole A.E.F. – the attached notice ordered the entire U.S. Army to wear them in place of canvas leggings.

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A Puttee Cartoon
(The Stars and Stripes, 1918)

The Doughboys were grateful to be issued European spiral-puttees in place of their canvas gaiters -which did them no good whatever in the dampness of Northern Europe; however, as the attached W.W. I photographs so clearly indicate (as does this cartoon by Walgren), not many Yanks were as proficient at wrapping them as the upper brass had hoped.

The Winter Trench Coat
(Thresher and Glenny Catalog, 1918)

Illustrated pages from the Thresher and Glenny catalog showing how a blanket lining could be added to the trench coat in order to make the garment more suitable for winter campaigns. Also included in the advertisement were three glowing testimonials written by British officers who were simply bubbling over with excitement for their Thresher and Glenny trench coats.

Various Articles on the Overseas Cap
(The Stars and Stripes, 1918)

For those who think a good deal about American military uniforms in the Great War, the overseas cap was just as unique to that war as the the Brody helmet, the trench coat and the gas mask. The American Quartermaster Corps liked the hat but they were terribly confused as to what to do with it: can we put insignia on it? Yes. No. Yes. Should it be worn back home?

Click here to read a Stars & Stripes article about American W.W. I helmets.

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The Recycling of Doughboy Uniforms
(Stars and Stripes, 1918)

In 1918 the U.S. Army Service of Supply instituted a salvaging unit near the French city of Tours which employed hundreds of French women and a number of idle Sammies in order to eradicate Army waste. It was there that the millions of discarded uniform elements were re-fashioned into other useful items:

At Tours they evolved a hospital slipper with a sole made from a torn and discarded campaign hat and an upper of O.D cloth cut from anywhere. It was such a good slipper, and easy to make that St. Pierre-des-Corps soon reached quantity production on it.

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