How clever packing helped win the First World War

Voice over: "When war broke out in August 1914, the British army had only 250,000 men in its ranks, but after a recruitment campaign more than three-quarters of a million men in Britain enlisted to join the fight, in the first 8 weeks alone. Although keen, it must have been daunting for the new recruits, as they faced months away from home. 

They were not permitted to take much in the way of personal belongings with them. Almost every square inch of space in their kit bags and pockets was taken up by items crucial to their survival and duties on the front. But the average Tommy still found ways of bringing a little bit of home with them on the journey and many found unexpected ways of repurposing their kit for the challenges of trench warfare. So what exactly was the standard kit they packed for life on the front line? How useful was it and what are some of the unique ways soldier’s personalised their kit? George Nicholl’s is a living history expert from the Great War Society."

George Nicholls: "The British Army was a very seasoned, experienced army by the outbreak of the First World War, as it had fought many battles, maintaining its huge empire across the earth. So now I'm going to talk you through what your average Tommy would have had in the trenches of the First World War. So, make sure it's unloaded so it's nice and safe. This was an absolutely essential piece of the British Army, one of the most standard and versatile rifles of its time. It was called the Lee Enfield because it was patented by one James Lee and was made in the county of Enfield, just on the outskirts of London."

Voice over: "The Lee Enfield rifle could fire an impressive 20 to 30 aimed rounds a minute. It was generally considered to be the fastest military bolt-action rifle of the time. In fact, British soldiers discharged these weapons so quickly and efficiently that the Germans sometimes thought they were under machine gun fire."

George Nicholls: "This was an absolute essential piece of the British army and one of the most standard and versatile rifles of its time. It's accurate up to about a mile and it was absolutely crucial for troops on the front line, as was the rest of this kit you see before you. So let's take a quick look. The British army wore 1908 patterned webbing, as they had heavy loads to carry as they went through the day to day struggles of trench warfare."

Voice over: "The cost of a soldier’s full kit and uniform during the FWW could vary depending on the quality of the items and other factors. Rough estimates indicate the kit likely cost the war office £16 8s 11d, or £1,455.13 in today's money. It was a worthy investment and the equipment issued was relatively innovative for the time."

George Nicholls: "The uniform I'm wearing and the colour of the whole webbing, it's called khaki. Khaki is a Hindi word for dust. This was the first kind of camouflage uniform the British army ever actually adopted."

Voice over: "The British soldier had two breast pockets for storing their Pay Book and other personal items, plus an inner pocket for the First Field Dressing. Soldiers were expected to carry two bandages for bullet wounds, a small one for the entry wound and a large one for the exit wound."

George Nicholls: "The kit may look light now, but it actually weighs between four and a half stone or 30 kilograms. Quite heavy, quite bulky, but an essential part of being a soldier in the First World War. Soldiers actually found this quite easy, the webbing is designed to be perfectly balanced on the shoulders and on your belt. So your shoulders take most of the weight. That doesn't mean soldiers wouldn't still grumble about how much it weighed. 

So to go with my rifle, we have a bayonet. A nice long piece of sharp steel designed for getting close with the enemy. Attached to the belt, we have two ammunition pouches. Total amount of bullets a soldier would have is 150 rounds. Next to the bayonet. We have the handle for an entrenching tool. This is the head of the entrenching tool. As you can see, it's a spade pickaxe hybrid. Very useful for breaking up the chalk on the Somme or the dirt on the salient."

Voice over: "The entrenching tool could be repurposed as an improvised axe, or even sharpened and used in close-quarters during hand-to-hand combat. Many soldiers also carried tools for cutting barbed wire entanglements, for easier access to no man's land."

George Nicholls: "Following that, we have a nice water bottle that carries around two litres of water, very useful on long marches. Keep soldiers hydrated in the front."

Voice over: "Within their large pack, men usually kept their Greatcoat or a blanket. Chemical weapons first emerged in 1915 and the only protection available to soldiers was a cotton pad soaked in chemicals or a canvas hood with a rubber tube for breathing. By 1916, the Small Box Respirator mask had been developed."

Jack Dorgan oral history: "Our eyes were streaming with water and with pain. Luckily I could still see. But we had no protection, no gas masks or anything of that kind. All we had was roll of bandages from our first aid kit which we carried in the corner of our tunic. So we had very little protection for our eyes. And then you had to be sent back. Anyone who could see, like I was, would go in front. And half a dozen or 10 or 12 men each with their hand on the shoulder of the man in front of them and lines – you could see lines and lines and lines of British soldiers going back with rolls of bandages round their eyes going back towards Ypres."

George Nicholls: "After that we have a small pack. This would have loads of items for their personal carry. A mess tin - this was a soldier's dish plate and pretty much any utility would be inside of this. We have a trench cooker. You would take the fabric off and put that in on the stove as such. They used alcohol as they didn't want the smoke to give their position away to the Germans.

The most important part was the spare change of socks. The British army marched, fought on its feet. The feet were the most important thing. We have British army foot powder. This was baby powder You would put on your feet twice a day to keep them dry, to keep out things like athlete's foot or trench foot. If you caught trench foot in the First World War, you were fined, as you were seen as an undesirable soldier. After that, some gloves and a hat to keep me nice and warm in the trenches. However, Lice loved them as they could make good nests in them."

Voice over: "By mid-1915 it had dawned on the War Office that fabric caps were no match for bullets and shrapnel. The Brodie Helmet, patented in London by John Leopold Brodie, finally provided better protection, resulting in reduced head injuries and fatalities." 

George Nicholls: "We have a towel. Soldiers were expected to shave once a day in the trenches. Facial hair was allowed, but it was frowned upon after the introduction of gas as it affected how good gas masks were. This right here was a carryall. So we have fork, spoon, buttons, button sticks like this - useful for keeping the buttons nice and shiny as they're expected to, when they were out of the trenches. Boot scraper - this before being hammered down with a spoon. This was useful for scraping mud off uniforms and boots in dugouts. Shaving - Looking soldierly and smart was always important. So soldiers were given a cut throat razor to shave daily.

Obviously, if we're going to shave, we need a brush. Carbolic soap was used as everything, to wash hands and to use as shaving cream. If I'm going to shave, I'm also going to need a mirror. These are small little trench mirrors. A couple of khaki patches to patch up any holes in uniforms in case my trousers get caught in barbed wire. Have a sewing kit, also known as a ‘house maid’. A Couple of spare laces too, If my boots need a quick change."

Voice over: "Infantrymen of course carried emergency rations. In addition to their standard issue kit, food and personal items helped to make life in the trenches more tolerable." 

George Nicholls: "So, in front of me here we have original artefacts from soldiers in the First World War. One of the most amazing examples of this is the staple of the British ration diet, which was a biscuit. These things were as hard as nails and as you can see, some survived the First World War. They took quite a lot of smashing to make them even palatable and dunking in tea."

Voice over: "These hard biscuits were often carved to create souvenirs or mementoes, such as this picture frame carved by Sergeant M Herring of the Army Service Corps which displays a photograph of himself, his wife and children."

George Nicholls: "Following that, we have the Lucky Charms. Soldiers, naturally, were very superstitious and if there was anything they believed would get them through the day, let alone an attack, they would believe it. Four leaf clovers and in this example, we have cherubs I believe that they would use to give them that little bit of courage they needed to get through."

Voice over: "Some soldiers created art, souvenirs and homemade games from materials they could scrounge or find lying around. Creative hobbies, musical instruments and books could provide a welcome distraction from the violence or help pass the time during lulls in the fighting."

George Nicholls: "This cigarette tin is a great example of trench culture. They were usually decorated, carved by the soldiers as to relieve the boredom of the trenches. Smoking was a very social activity in the trench. Nearly everyone smoked."

Voice over: "Cigarettes were not seen as a health risk and were even issued as part of standard rations. This simple pleasure was thought to help calm the nerves and boost morale."

George Nicholls: "Soldiers preferred smoking pipes as under military law, they could smoke them while on the march or carrying out work. So pipe smoking became very fashionable and actually preserved the pipe industry and saved it. In 1914, Queen Mary gave out these small boxes to troops who were serving in the cold, muddy trenches in the winter of 1914. Inside would be chocolate, cigarettes, writing paper or a pencil to make sure soldiers felt like their country loved them during the cold winters."

Voice over: "There are many instances of soldiers who kept diaries or wrote letters to document their experiences and stay connected with their families, and letters from home were often carried in the trenches as prized possessions."

George Nicholls: "Mail call was always a very emotional moment for soldiers and the military went out of their way to make sure soldiers could receive these letters daily."

Voice over: "These personal items gave soldiers comfort, provided entertainment, as well as a feeling of connection to home and loved ones while at war in a foreign country. The resolve and determination of infantrymen who fought in the First World War helped to bring the conflict to an end by November 1918. The efficiency and innovative design of their equipment, the well chosen items and clever use of space helped to ensure they had everything needed to survive the brutal conditions of the trenches, without being overloaded. Soldiers who fought during the First World War faced unimaginable conditions and dangers, however, their ability to adapt and innovate their tools was truly remarkable."