World War One – Page 5 – Old Magazine Articles

Supplying Tobacco to the AEF
(America’s Munitions, 1919)

Cigarette smoking was far more prevalent in the United States after the First World War than it was in earlier days; this is largely due to the free cigarettes that were widely distributed among the nations soldiers, sailors and Marines during that conflict – and this is the subject of the attached article. It was written by Benedict Crowell (1869 – 1952), who served as both the Assistant Secretary of War and Director of Munitions between 1918 and 1920 – and although his column informs us that numerous tobacco products were dispersed throughout the ranks on a seemingly biblical scale, he does not touch upon the tragic topic of the addictions that soon followed (contrary to popular belief, the American medical establishment had their suspicions about tobacco long before the war).

The French Army in Africa
(The Commonweal, 1941)

Attached is a history article concerning the various organizations that made up the French Colonial Army in Africa:

Before and during the World War, all the different races serving in the French Army were excellently officered by subalterns and non-coms born in North Africa, but of European ancestry: by sons of immigrated colonists of French, Spanish and Italian extraction.

The late Marshal Lyautey used to say of these sons of European settlers: ‘Their knowledge of the ways of the natives is priceless, because they have assimilated it from childhood. In the native regiments, they constitute a human concrete, which keeps together men of antagonistic races and beliefs’

German Cavalry Memoir
(Leslie’s Weekly, 1915)

Fritz Arno Wagner (1894 – 1958) is best remembered as a pioneering cinematographer from the earliest days of the German film industry, however before he could gain the experiences necessary to become the director of photography for such films as Nosferatu, and Westfront he had to first fulfill his obligations to the Kaiser. This article is an account of his brief stint in the Hussars (ie. lancers) that he gave to the editor’s of Leslie’s Illustrated Weekly Newspaper. Although the article only covers his training period, it does give the reader a sense of what life was like for an enlisted man serving in one of highly prized regiments in the Imperial German Army.

It is believed that this magazine article was written during his days with Pathe News in New York.

Click here to read about the U.S. Navy railroad artillery of W.W. I.

British Military Campaign Furniture
(Mappin and Webb, 1915)

The furniture made available for private purchase to British officers during World War One was a far cry from that which their Victorian father’s enjoyed; however, the thought of going off to war without camp furniture at all was foreign to them. The page illustrates the simple, collapsible furniture that was approved by the British War Office for use in the field.

Camouflage: An Invention from Ancient Warfare
(The Nation, 1918)

One of the most curious aspects of the Great War that generated a good deal of conversation among the civilian populations was camouflage. Many people believed that camouflage was one of many elements that made that war so terribly different from all other wars. One well-read reader from a respectable American magazine would have non of it: she composed a well researched letter explaining that the need for camouflage preceded the era of industrial warfare and was practiced by the ancient combatants of Greece and Rome as well.

Charles Huard: War Artist in the 1914 Trenches
(Vanity Fair, 1915)

Seven sketches from Soissons by the war artist Charles Huard (1875 – 1965) as they first appeared in a fashionable American society magazine.

Click here to read additional article about the World War I artists.

A Drawing of a German Trench Latrine
(Royal Engineers, 1915)

Attached, you will find a mechanical drawing made by the industrious souls assigned to the Royal Engineers in order to placate those busy-body brass-hats situated so far in the rear and having little better to do than wonder aloud as to how the Hun tended to deal with his bowel movements.

The author of
The Western Front Companion is very informative on the topic of trench latrines and tells us that as the war progressed, latrines evolved into loitering centers for those wishing to read or enjoy some solitude. In order to remedy the situation officers decided to position their front-line trench latrines at the end of short saps, closer to the enemy; the reason being that a man was less likely to tarry and would return to duty that much quicker.

German Defense Accessories
(L’Illustration, 1915)

A collection of black and white drawings that illustrate the variety of items used along the Western Front to defend the German trench lines.

This article appears on this site by way of a special agreement with L’Illustration.

November 11th With the First Division
(American Legion Weekly, 1919)

An American artillery officer from that famous division recalled the last minute of the war to end all wars…

A Colour Photograph of German General Von Heeringen
(The Nations at War, 1914)

An early war (hand tinted) color image of Imperial Germany’s General Josais Von Heeringen (1850 – 1926) celebrating the Kaiser’s Birthday by distributing medals among deserving soldiers.

A Color Photograph of General Von Kluck and General Von Kuhl
(Nations at War, 1914)

An early war (hand tinted) color image of German General Alexander Von Kluck (1846-1934), General Von Kuhl and General Walter Von Bergmann posing among various assembeled German staff officers.

Supplying Candy to the A.E.F.
(America’s Munitions, 1919)

Historians may ad the following to that list of the many firsts that World War I has claimed as its own:

The First World War was the first conflict in which the American soldier preferred candy to chewing tobacco.

Candy in the days of the old Army was considered a luxury. The war with Germany witnessed a change… Approximately 300,000 pounds of candy represented the monthly purchases during the early period of the war. Demands from overseas grew steadily. The soldier far from home and from his customary amusements could not be considered an ordinary individual living according to his own inclinations, and candy became more and more sought after. As the need increased, the Quartermaster Department came to recognize the need of systematic selection and purchase.

The suffering sweet tooth of the Yank was not appeased by candy alone. The third billion pounds of sugar bought for Army represents a tremendous number of cakes, tarts, pies and custards. An old soldier recently stated that the ice cream eaten by the Army during the war would start a new ocean…

Click here to read about the shipments of chewing gum that was sent to the American Army of W.W. I.

British Uniform Insignia for General Officers
(Bovril Booklet, 1917)

Officer’s British Warm
(Thresher & Glenny Catalog, 1915)

A.E.F. Facts and Deployment Information
(Times Literary Supplement, 1921)

The attached essay reviews a colossal history written by a veteran of the U.S. First Infantry Division, Captain Shipley Thomas: The History of the A. E. F.
– for those who are looking for some knowledge concerning what the American Army was up to during the last six months of the War (it was bloodiest period) the review makes for a good read.

Click here to read about the high desertion rate within the U.S. Army of 1910.

Click here to read some statistical data about the American Doughboys of the First World War.

The British Rage Against Pacifism
(The Literary Digest, 1915)

While Western Europe was all ablaze during the Spring of 1915, many Americans were tapping their toes to a catchy tune titled, I Didn’t Raise my Boy to be a Soldier (by Alfred Bryan and Al Piantadosi). This really irked the editors at THE SPECTATOR who let their fingers trip across the typewriter keyboard at a tremendous speed spewing-out all sorts of unflattering adjectives; they even went so far as to rewrite a few verses.

The British 1912 Officer Jacket
(West End Gazette, 1915)

The January, 1915, issue of The West End Gazette devoted three pages of tailoring instructions for British officer’s Khaki Service Jacket. The uniform was first issued in 1912:[P]The latest development in connection with military tailoring is the introduction of a new style of Service Dress for field wear. Its principal distinction from the styles that has superseded is the abolition of the time-honored stand collar in favor of the open step collar style as generally adopted for mufti garments.