EQUIPMENT FOR THE FIELD
The question is often asked by prospective soldiers as to what is
the irreducible minimum that a man should take to war, in the way
of equipment. I say irreducible, for it is to the interest of the
infantryman who has to carry practically all his belongings on his
back, to reduce his load as much as possible consistent with efficiency
and comfort. The tailors in London who undertook the tasks of equipping
young officers for the trenches, having more interest in making sales
than anything else, did their best to persuade their victims that the
omission of one of dozens of things they proposed would expose them to
very grave risks. No one could possibly have carried all the equipment
they suggested and no Army Service Corps would ever have been able
to handle it as baggage. Some of the men who fell victims to these
outfitters went to France looking more like "Xmas trees" than anything
else, for it was only when there was no more room on their bodies to
hang anything that these excellent gentlemen were satisfied, and let
them depart.
In this list that I am now giving, I propose to deal with the equipment
of the soldier first and then add to it the items that seem to me to be
essential for the Officer.
First of all there is the rifle, the soldier's best friend. It should
be cherished and cared for as though his life depended on it--as it
frequently may. We used to inspect the rifles of the men at least twice
a day in the trenches, and any sign of neglect was at once dealt with.
It must be kept free from all rust and dirt, well oiled and polished,
and with every part of the mechanism in first class working condition.
Any text book on musketry will give the information necessary for the
effective care of the rifle. We found that the breech of the rifle was
often in danger of becoming fouled through mud or sand. Accordingly we
advised the men to keep that part covered whenever the rifle was not in
action. Small khaki cloths with snap buttons were made, but where these
were not obtainable, the leg of a sock served quite as well. But it
must be easily removable.
Rifles are sometimes fouled through putting into them cartridges that
are rusty or muddy. All cartridges should be cleaned before being
inserted. Now it is obvious that time cannot be taken for this task
during an engagement, and so it must be done before the rifle is to be
used. As the cartridges come from the factory they are perfectly clean;
but if they are carried about for days and weeks in the carriers on the
equipment they get very dirty. Officers must inspect them from time
to time and see that damaged ones are sent away and not allowed to be
fired through the rifles. No care can be too great. It is a pitiful
sight to see a man in action with a rifle that has become clogged
through carelessness. It is a good thing to give rewards for those who
consistently present clean rifles for inspection, and to punish those
who do not. When a man realises how much he is dependent on his rifle
he will be certain to take care of it.
The next thing is the bayonet. I have said that all infantry work leads
up to the use of the bayonet, and so, if a man is to be ready for this
final test, his bayonet must be in good shape. Of course there is not
much to get out of order, but there are a few movable parts that must
be kept oiled, and the blade itself which must be kept clean. It is a
slight courtesy that you can pay your enemy, that you give him clean,
instead of rusty, steel.
Another weapon that has proved itself indispensable in this war is the
entrenching tool. It is a small instrument with a detachable handle,
and the head itself has a shovel at one end and a pick at the other. It
is a wonderful little tool for hasty entrenching and no attack should
be made without it. It has been the means of saving many, many lives in
this war.
Unfortunately, the perfidy of the enemy has made necessary another
addition to the equipment of every soldier, and that is the gas mask.
The best kind consists of heavy khaki cloth, kept wet with a solution
to counteract and neutralise the chlorine in the gas, and equipped with
goggles very much like what motorists wear, and a tube that enters the
mouth. The air to be breathed is drawn in through the cloth itself, and
the air that has been used is driven out through the tube. It is not a
comfortable process but it is considerably better than imbibing deadly
gas.
Of course a water bottle must be carried and must always be kept clean.
On every possible occasion the soldier should wash it out with hot
water and some form of disinfectant. Men should be discouraged from
rushing to their water bottles for drinks at all times, especially
when they are on the march. Thirst is a thing that we can easily
control if we will.
We learnt that it was an excellent practice to have strapped about
the equipment in a place where they could easily be got at, two
sandbags. They are not heavy or bulky to carry, and if hasty cover is
needed they will be found invaluable.
Lists of the clothes necessary are given in every military manual,
and it will be well to follow the one for the special army to which
you belong. Besides, the clothing necessary will vary according to
the climate in which the troops have to serve. Quite obviously the
equipment for the Philippines will be different from the equipment for
France. But we found that it was a good plan to have warm underclothes
for the winter, not the heaviest variety, but reasonably heavy. It
is better and more convenient to add to the clothing should occasion
warrant it rather than carry heavy underclothes all the time. In summer
the underclothing should be light. But whatever the season, a change
should be carried in the pack on the back. In the case of socks two or
three emergency pairs should be in the pack. These socks should be made
of wool, preferably undyed, and should be thick and heavy for all
times. I am aware that it is much nicer to have thin silk socks for the
summer time, but they are not intended for marching in nor yet for use
with heavy military boots.
Two pairs of boots should be taken, one pair on the feet and one pair
in the pack. Tennis shoes should also be carried to put on at times to
rest the feet.
I need scarcely indicate what toilet articles are needed, for they are
the same on service as would be taken for a week-end at the seaside.
But I would add that it is a good thing to include a cake of strong
carbolic soap to discourage the lice.
Emergency bandages, sewn into the tunic, may be the means of saving
your life.
Some means must be adopted for protecting the ears from the noises of
the rifles and bombs and shells. Cotton wool will serve, but a much
better device is on the market, called "Ear Defenders." They are small
vulcanite cylinders that are inserted into the ears. Near the end of
the cylinder there is a diaphragm of fine gauze which is pushed up
against the wall by the sound waves created by great noises (thus
protecting the drum of the ear) while they do not respond at all to the
waves from small sounds. Consequently it is quite possible to hear the
words of a person speaking, and not be affected by the noise of the
guns. I have used them myself and can vouch for their efficacy, though
it does take a little time to become used to them.
Then again nearly every soldier will need a wrist watch. These should
be luminous, for there is much waste of time involved in striking a
match or going to a lamp to see the time. It pays to buy a good watch,
and by all means get a removable cover for the glass face, for glasses
easily break, and it is difficult to get them repaired on service.
I do not intend this list to be exhaustive, but to contain the most
important things that a soldier will need to include in this equipment.
Officers are allowed more baggage, and will need more, but the mistake
must not be made of overloading or taking unnecessary things. They
will need a canvas valise and a sleeping bag to go with it, and, if
possible, a very light mattress, weighing not more than a few pounds.
A canvas water bucket and a wash basin, and a change of uniform are
very necessary. As to weapons, I found that the Colt automatic was
very serviceable. Swords are of course not carried in France. They are
a nuisance for most purposes, though they do make excellent toasting
forks. In action we led our men, equipped only with revolver and cane.
In raids and trench work a handy instrument is the trench dagger--a
knife of about nine inches long, ending in a handle that has openings
for the four fingers to go through, thus serving as a "knuckle duster."
Field glasses are essential and indeed they should be supplied to some
of the non-commissioned officers as well. Nothing under four nor over
eight diameters should be chosen. Below that figure they do not magnify
enough, and above that figure they magnify too much. Six or seven is
ideal for the infantryman.
Some form of collapsible periscope may be carried, but most of us
discarded the ones we had bought in England in favour of the simple
ones that I have described in another place.
I would utter again the warning against loading up with too many
things. Get few things but get good ones and keep them good is the best
advice that I can give.