WINTER TRENCH KIT.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 266, 13 April 1917, Page 2 (Supplement)

WINTER TRENCH KIT.

A WORD ON HOOTS AND OVERCOATS.

By f. a. Mckenzie, The Well-known War Correspondent In the Daily Mail.

The British soldier is bettor clad today than ever before. His uniform and boots are excellent, as they need lie to stand tho wear and tear of tho trenches.

Tho Army boot is, tor a marching or general service boot, the model of its kind, and no one need wish for hotter. You can judge for yourself tho quality of the clothing by standing outsid.} the barrier at Victoria Station when a leave train comes in. You will then see that tho uniforms of tho men, wlule deeply mud-stained uro yet whole and have kept their sliape. Nothing but a very good material would have borne the stress or life in the mud-holes of the winter trenches.

And yet I am bold enough to suggest that far the present work in the western tivenehces some improvements are possible, improvements that would add greatly to the health, comfort, and efficiency of the men. Those impirovwmspnts mainly t'ffiect two ihings—boots and overcoats. BOOTS.

I have already testified to the merit of tho Army boot for general work But it is not sufficient for tho mtn spending their forty-eight hours m thj trenches tlutt have been made morasses by heavy, sustained shell tire. In sections of many moderately good trendies the mud comes up just below your knees. Puttees do not keep out tho wot. It gradually soaks down into tho boot, and even the most systematic dressing with wale oil and daily changing of socks will not save a proportion of men from one form or another of bad feet. Now the soldier with bad feot is useless.

The authorities, recogniising this serve out rubber boots for the trenches. Even if thero were enough.rubber boots to go round—which there are not—the problem is not solved. Rubber boots and waders are admirable for salmon fishing or for spending an hour or two on wet ground. But for permanent trench use they are a delusion and a snare. For myself I would prefer regulation boots and puttees, and I think nearly every practical soldier who has spent any time in really bad tranches will agree with me. It is very difficult to move about freely in rubber boots, and it is essontiall that a man in tlie front lines should be able to move freely. When you strike a really bad patch your rubber boots are apt to stick in tho mud and leave you shoeless. They wear very Imdly and soon give way. Even if they keep Wet ou't there is no ventilation, and the heat of the fecit causes excessive perspiration. which makes the feet damp. But usually the mud comos over tho top of the rubber and tho Iwot becomes full of viscous mud in the interstices between the feet. The work of removing this mud to make the boote available for the next party in tho trenches exercises the ingenuity of many commanding officers who are careful for the welfare of their men.

H.o\v then can the tact problem be, solved;-' I believe that the solutionwill bo found —so far as the trenches are conberukdj—by making a boot .somewhat 011 the design of either the swash-buckler or the high Navy boot. It must lie a boot with a high leather or skin top that can l>e drawn up right up over the knees and fastened closely around the thighs by means oi a strap. I am not suggesting that this kind of lx>ot should be used for everyday wear in rest camps or even in support lines. But if it were issued out to the men in tho front trenches and out on out-post duty it would add more to theiir comfort and nelp moro to preserve their health than any other single improvement. OVERCOATS. 111 diry weather the British infantry overcoat is excellent. In wet weather it is apt to become a sodden and uncomfortable burden. In winter trench life in the muddiest districts it is a nuisance. Tho British soldier is very warmly clad, apart from his overcoat. Every man lias a really good shirt, warm and substantial, a comfortable Cardigan jacket and tunic. He has also often enough a leather waistcoat or outer coat. Once the overcoat becomes wet, really wet, it takes days to dry, and all that time a man has to carry about with him a monstrously heavy wet pack. Bint when a soldier takes his overcoat up with him in such work as wo have had this winter on tho Sommo Ohe 'infantry -overcoat is a curse. It becomes covered with, mud and soaked with mud. Men's coats have bftcn carefully weighed when they have been brought into hospital at the fighting front, and they have been found in several instances to reach the almost incredible weight of from 1001'). to 1121b. To attempt to realise what tlna means go to the nearest greengrocer's and ask hem to let you lift a sack of potatoes, which weigh 1121b. Remember that the soldier has to carry, besides iiis coat, tlw remainder of his equipment. Do you wonder that men struggling through tho mud have thrown their touts away, unable to movo because of them. So mo commanding officers suggest that this matter could be remedied by serving out the shorter cavalry overcoats to the men, with waterproofs. Poss'bly even this would be found too ciimb.Tsomo for active fighting. Tho solution of tho problem is hero, t-00, probably to be iound from the Navy. Give them oilskins, such as the sailor has. and have the overcoat Iceland. The sc'ld-icr in the winter lines, with l."itli, r boots coming over Iris knees and an (.ilskin to protect him from the wet, wonkl lie a.s well protected as posvb'". In active war it Ls inevitable 1 Hat m.mi should oi'trn b:> greatly expose;! to the v.vather. 1 here are worse ills than b.-mg :oak,'d to the skin, pr>vi'ied you an- able to dry yourself within reasonabio time. But systematic soak in:/:, dav after div, knocks out the h.inlicsr. 11l IS.

There is one other improvement that would greatly add to tie- efficiency cf Ihe fighting man. and that is a great iri'Tons-" in the number of huts nvii.il:ih!o when men move back from the front lines. The. Armstrong hut. (ho Ivpe now being erect d in parts of the front lb if f know, will shelter a platoon. They can be warm and dry in it. What warmth and dryness mean to tho man back from a spell in the mod In i-]H of the Somme no <-i\~ili:in

"Von want to make feather-lied soldvrs," I hear some stay-at-home sn r er. Tal's like Ih's makes 'me tired. I'o iin>< ■ t. t'i.-> private soldier as nnwli as p••>•■, ble is not nny a. nationial dufv let ;,4 !o 1.,> put on the lowest growl national e 01 >my. The average fist <.l > a h ■ •hi at the front cannot ho lr-s Mum I'l'nn. It is probab'y much nin- n . To ''■!< los'ng a. man ivVso training h-is <-f!-! C't'OO Ice want, of protntion that "oid I rest, r-M-haos an addit'Oltal £~ a ' " e' not food business.