The uniform for the cleaning and mending lesson

This article is about a special uniform that existed in the Imperial Army: The suit for the cleaning and mending hour, in which the uniforms and pieces of equipment were not only cleaned, but also mended and repaired. You can see how I put on this type of uniform here in the video.

The basis of the uniform

Of course, we start with the underwear. The issued shirt had buttons in the upper half and was made of cotton. You can find more information about the army shirt here. The soldiers not only wore issued shirts, but also privately purchased ones. Knitted woollen socks were usually worn on the feet. Another option was to wear footcloths instead of socks. The issued pants worn by the soldiers were made of cotton twill and were long, as the usual trousers were made of wool and only partially lined with cotton. The purpose of the pants was to absorb sweat in order to protect the outer trousers. In addition, the material of the trousers, cotton, made them much easier to wash. Small loops were also sewn onto the waistband of the trousers, through which the braces could be pulled to ensure a more stable fit. There were straps at the bottom of the trousers to close the legs and prevent them from slipping.

Different types of trousers for the cavalry

While the infantry only received one type of trousers, there were two different types for the cavalry: Breeches for duty on horseback and trousers for duty and everything off the horse, both were made of stone grey wool. The trousers were the same as those issued to the infantry. They were held in place by braces that were slipped over buttons on the waistband. Following the pattern of the trousers, they had a high waist. A red piping was usually sewn into the side seam to identify the trousers as soldiers’ clothing and make desertion more difficult. Some regiments did not have red piping, but a different colour. In the case of the Jäger, for example, green. The front was fastened with a button placket.

 

The soldier’s collar under the uniform

Let’s move on to the soldier’s collar or uniform bandage, which was introduced in 1914. Its main function was to prevent the uniform collar from rubbing against the neck and was usually made of cotton. The colours of this garment varied and ranged from black to brown to field grey. In the novel ‘Die Pflasterkästen’ by Alexander Moritz Frey, this collar is mentioned and described above all as a useless and annoying item of clothing. It was also held in place by straps and prevented from slipping.

 

The Drillich jacket

We continue with the drill jacket. Most of them were made of linen in a fine herringbone pattern without a lining. All in all, it was one of the most robust items of clothing a soldier could have, as it regularly ended up in the boil wash. It was therefore worn for many barracks and heavy work to protect the woollen clothing. The cream-coloured fabric became lighter and lighter the more often it was washed. As they were also worn in the field and were easy to see from a distance due to their brightness, orders were issued at the end of 1915 to dye the drill jackets and trousers in field grey, as was the drill fabric in general. However, it would take until the end of 1917 for this to be implemented. Drill trousers were also available, but these were not intended for cavalry in the field.

 

The field cap

The field cap was part of this type of uniform. You can find out more about the field cap in this blog post.

 

The shoes for the uniform

Now to the shoes: These were issued to every soldier, regardless of the type of weapon. This means that they were part of every troop unit’s kit. During the course of the war, the shoes were not only worn for special tasks such as cleaning and mending, but also increasingly replaced the soldiers’ boots in combination with wraparound gaiters. This applied to both infantry and riding boots. There were iron nails on the sole and a so-called horseshoe on the heel to improve the durability of the leather sole and the grip on the terrain. The laces for the shoes were also made of leather.

 

The apron

Finally, an apron was worn to protect the clothing from superficial soiling. These were usually made of dark blue coloured cotton, but could also be green or another colour. It was fastened with ribbons at the back or, if the ribbons were long enough, at the front. Here we have it. Now the soldier can start cleaning and completing his equipment.

 

Conclusion

So this is what the soldiers looked like when they started to repair their equipment: A drill jacket, then depending on various factors either woollen or drill trousers, together with a field cap and an apron. There were of course other types of uniform, which we will look at in the future.

 

Sources