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The Great War. World War 1. One of the deadliest conflicts in history, with an estimated 40 million military and civilian casualties. During 1914 to 1918 this was a war fought, at least on the Western Front of Northern france and Belgium – largely in trenches. These trenches were long, deep, ditches that would stretch for miles, with a battle-scarred wasteland, known as a no-man’s land, in between the opposing sides. Down in the trenches, millions of soldiers on both sides of the conflict would take shelter against enemy attacks, machine gun volleys and air artillery strikes.
Life in the trenches was bleak at best and hellish in many cases. Here, soldiers had to deal with cramped spaces, lack of proper food, clothing or sanitation; diseases such as typhoid fever, dysentary and cholera; rats, fleas, and other vermin. Especially in the trenches in France, due to the high water table, trenches were constantly muddy and wet, if not even flooded. One can only imagine the filth and sludge and sewage permeating these cold, murky trench waters.
It can be argued that the birth of modern military boots began with the World War 1 trenches and the need to develop footwear properly adapted to modern wartime terrain and conditions.
World War 1 trenches
Cheshire Regiment trench Somme 1916
Lancashire Fusiliers trench Beaumont Hamel 1916
Case of trench feet suffered by unidentified soldier in WW1
WW1 Trench foot advertisement
Russet Marching Shoes
1918 Pershing Trench Boots
Type 1 Service Shoes
M1943 Combat Boots
Jungle Boots
Original US Desert Combat Boots
Yeezy Boost 750
Prada Camouflage Print Combat Boots
Nike SFB Field 2 Tactical Boot (AR 670-1 compliant)
Links of interest:
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/nov/10/first-world-war-trenches-life-soldiers
- https://spartacus-educational.com/FWWfoot.htm
- http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/l_tanks.htm
- https://www.grailed.com/drycleanonly/military-footwear-fashion-impact
- https://www.filson.com/blog/field-notes/the-history-of-the-combat-boot/
- https://authorizedboots.com/the-evolution-of-the-modern-military-army-boot/
Music Credits:
- “Over There” – George M. Cohan, 1917, sung by Billy Murray
- “In the Mood” – recorded by Glenn Miller, based on the composition “Tar Paper Stomp” by Wingy Manone
- Interview: Chelsea Pensioners on Their WWI Service (1974) (Youtube)
- Interview of Harry Patch (Youtube)
- All other music from the YouTube Audio Library and the Immortal Soles Podcast
