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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Is there a way to tell WW1 putees


arantxa

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I have these and wondered if they are Ww1 

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arantxa,

I may be wrong, but the darker coloured pair appear to have a NATO stock number printed on them? So guessing they may not be WW1?

Regards,

Kev Loughnane.

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I guess they are not then Kev I didn’t know people still wore putees 

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I don't think that anybody does wear them anymore? But we were still wearing them with DMS boots in the RAF at the time of my demob in 1989! I suspect that these may be surplus stock?

Kev Loughnane

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Also WW1 puttees are about 3m long. The puttees used in WW2 with short trousers and socks were only about 1.2m long. These look like the short ones. Also I did not know that they were still in use to 1989.  Its amazing how some old patterns of equipment survey.

 

I bought a WW1 dated heliograph from a retired WO in the Survey Corps. He had used these for survey work through to the mid 80s when they were declared obsolete. I new that the Sigs Regt and RAA had used them through to the mid60s but was very surprised that they then went for another 20 years of service.

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Puttees we’re still on issue in the 1980’s.

Met their demise in the Army when the DMS (Direct Moulded Sole) boot was withdrawn around 1986. The DMS boot’s undoing was it’s failure during the Falklands War.

58 DM.

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My understanding is that the army lost faith in the DMS boot after the Falklands conflict so adopted the high leg combat boot (no need for puttees anymore). All their surplus DMS boots and puttees were sent to the RAF. As we didn't wear them as often as the army did they lasted for years!

Regards,

Kev Loughnane.

Beaten to it by 58 Div Mule!

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11 minutes ago, 58 Div Mule said:

The DMS boot’s undoing was it’s failure during the Falklands War

The Australian Army had been using a DMS tall "General Purpose" boot through the 1970s. Their quality was astounding. A colleague received his GP from the Q-Store and put them on straight away. He had not gone 100m before the entire sole of one boot came free. That started an interesting discussion between a regular army WO2 RQMS and an A-Res lance corporal. The yelling by the RQMS was audible in every office in the depot. The regular RSM and Adjutant both came out to see what was happening. He got another pair of boots.  

No matter how bad the British DMS boots were they could not have been worse than ours.

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Great War puttees are 9 foot in length for other ranks. I have shorter four foot length owned by an Officer of the Seaforth Highlanders. The printed white details are a give away as post war.

might I recommend the Campaign 1914 and 1915 books to you. They will answer most questions regarding British Army uniforms. 1916 is in the works 

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Thank you.  And thanks for the foot conversion !!

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Maureen that video is very interesting have a good bank holiday 

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