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pre-WWI and WWI service shoe repair


evets
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One of my sidelines is shoe repair (I mainly repair reenactor footwear and vintage and "heritage" work boots).
I was wondering if anyone out there has any photos of US military cobbler/shoe repair tools and equipment from the 1880s through WWI period. I have seen WWI Nerd's most excellent and totally amazing write ups on pre-WWI and WWI service shoes, and it's what got me really wanting to work on more WWI original service shoes and reenactor boots (I have a "thing" for hobnails and heel and toe plates, apparently).
Anyway, any photos of tools, gear, equipment, etc. would be appreciated. Of course, I'd love to put together a complete set of one of the army "cobbler's tool rolls" but only have a few correct tools so far.
Thanks!

 

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world war I nerd

Evets,

 

Here's a list of tools & equipment that the AEF's portable cobbler's tool sets were to contain.

 

It came from a May 1918 dated AEF manual which listed all the overseas equipment that an infantry regiment was supposed to have.

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cool, thanks! I have some minor MOS-type info on cobblers but hadn't found a list of tools/equipment yet (well, until now!). This list is very useful.

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This is very interesting. That doesn't seem like a big tool or supply chest for a unit cobbler. Can someone answer: How many cobblers were assigned to each regiment? I know there was no rank of "cobbler" as there was, for example, cook, mechanic, waggoner, etc. Was it an "additional duty"?

Pete

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world war I nerd

I've not seen this officially documented anywhere, but my understanding is that each company had one tailor, one cobbler & one barber.

 

Based on the below diary entries, these positions look to have been filled by men chosen from the company by the 1st Sergeant, likely based on the fact that they had previous experience for the job in civil life. The second entry noted that each soldier paid the company barber 15 cents per month for his services.

 

I also recall a similar account about a soldier in the 1st Division, who because he was a mail carrier before the war, was made the company postal clerk. I believe the same was true of company cooks unless the company was lucky enough to have a 1st Class Cook that was trained by the Army.

 

"First sergeant bought a pair of clippers for me. I am to be the Co. barber. Bought a pair of scissors from Flower. Cut a few heads of hair. Had to quit on account of the scissors."

Private Wilfred H. Allen, Company I, 108th Infantry Regiment, 27th Division, AEF

 

"We have a company barber whom we pay 15 cents a month for as many haircuts as we need."

2nd Lieutenant Eugene West, 5th Marine Regiment, 2nd Division, AEF

 

A similar arrangement may have been worked out for the services of the tailor and cobbler prior to 1918 when each soldier was charged for his Army issued clothing. As soon as the issued clothing was signed over to an individual soldier, he was then responsible for its upkeep. He had to pay out of his own pocket for the maintenance of both his clothing and footwear.

 

Sometime in 1917 or early 1918 the Army changed the system because the old method did not work in the conditions of WW I. Under the new policy, the issued clothing and footwear remained the property of the U.S. Government. Therefore Uncle Sam picked up the tab for any repairs that had to be made to a soldier's clothing or footwear so long as the damage was not the result of negligence caused by the soldier.

 

A small stipend was however deducted from a soldiers pay in the AEF to cover the cost of laundering their clothing.

 

Note the words "Company Barber" in the caption of this photograph taken at a camp in St. Nazaire, France circa 1918, from a photo album that belonged to 1st Lieutenant Frederick Clarence Stilson, Company M, 23rd Engineer Regiment.

 

Photo courtesy of the Veterans History project

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world war I nerd

Here's another photo from Lt, Stilson's photo album, titled "Saddler Griot and Private O'Brien in their shoe shop."

 

This would suggest the the company saddler was pressed into service as a part time cobbler if the company had no men with shoe repair experience.

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world war I nerd

Here is an example of the handiwork carried out by the Jeffersonville Quartermaster Depot's shoe repair shop.

 

The "before" shot of a pair of worn out 1914 Russet Leather Shoes

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wow...all cool information!

 

I have some excerpts from a 1918 QM catalog that describes each job (MOS in modern-day military speak). 47 was the designation for leather worker, with 47-C being for a cobbler. They even had "code word" designations for each job! See attached images

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Here is an example of the handiwork carried out by the Jeffersonville Quartermaster Depot's shoe repair shop.

 

The "before" shot of a pair of worn out 1914 Russet Leather Shoes

 

 

wow...that's quite a blown out toe!

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world war I nerd

Evets, agreed ...that's some blown out toe.

 

Also thanks for adding the early Army MOS requirements as I've never seen those before.

 

What was the title of the manual?

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  • 4 months later...

I am actually writing a research paper about cobblers in the U.S. military. Can anyone direct me to where I may find copies of the AEF manual and QM manual outlining the details of cobbler's duties and equipment? I would greatly appreciate your help!

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world war I nerd

GI Kate,

 

I've yet to encounter any manual regarding the equipment or activities of U.S. Army & A.E.F. shoe cobblers at company or regimental level. Most of the information I've come across on that subject has been anecdotal and was found in a wide variety of period publications.

 

From what I've pieced together, the U.S. Army didn't seem to have any organized form of shoe (or clothing) repair prior to 1917. As previously mentioned, prior to 1917, it was the responsibility of the individual soldiers to ensure and pay for the upkeep on their issued shoes and clothing. However, before 1917, I'm also relatively certain that each company did have one enlisted man who was unofficially designated as the company tailor and another as the company cobbler.

 

I recently read (but,for the life of me, I can't remember where) that the prices for the work they did were determined and fixed by the Army (based on the going commercial rates) and the fees were deducted form each soldier's respective pay and then passed on to the tailor or cobbler. At some point, these part-time duties must have become official as sewing machines and cobblers tool rolls became an integral part of each company or regiment. Unfortunately, I have no ideas when this actually occurred or if formal training was ever given to the individuals who carried out those chores at company level. Thus far, anecdotal information suggests that the men assigned to those duties were selected from the ranks by the first sergeant. According to one source, the cobbler repair kits were issued for overseas service:

 

The American Expeditionary Forces adopted the English system of company cobblers and regimental repair shops. Upwards of 11,000 cobblers kits were shipped to France. In July, 1918, the American Expeditionary Forces requested machinery for a base shoe repair plant in France. This machinery was shipped considerably before hostilities ceased.

 

The Medical Department of the United States Army in the World War, Vol. VI, 1926, page 524

 

During WW I, it was no longer practical for each soldier to look after his own clothing and shoes, so the policy was changed and the monumental task of repairing shoes and clothing fell to the Quartermaster Corps newly minted Salvage Service. By the end of 1917, each training camp in the United States had its own shoe repair shop with sufficient equipment to repair up to 500 pairs of shoes per day and a staff of 40 to 50 men. In its seven months of operation the Jeffersonville shop repaired 222,135 pairs of shoes! By November of 1918 the stateside Army shoe repair shops had collectively repaired some 500,000 pairs of shoes during the final month of the war.

 

For more information, I would recommend tracking down the following volumes (all of which are available online - Google the words "full text" & the title). Skim the chapters devoted to the Quartermaster Corps until you find the section about the Salvage Service ... Then read that entire section:

 

1. The above mentioned volume on the Medical Department (Volume 6). Look for the chapter devoted to the clothing and shoes as worn by the A.E.F.

2. America's Munitions 1917 -1918 by Benedict Crowell

3. The Army Behind the Army by Edward Alexander Powell

 

Here's another shot of a company cobbler, and his assistants, at work that I found a day or two ago. Based on the crate's stencil this appears to be an unknown company from the 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division. The guy on the right must be the Company Baby Sitter ... not sure if that was an MOS though.

 

Photo courtesy of the National World War I Museum

Good luck with your paper.

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World War I Nerd,

 

Thank you so much for your insight and the additonal information. This is great! Much more than I currently have. I also have a request in withthe National Archives for anything "military cobbler" related they may have so hopefully that turns up some more. I will let you know what I find.

 

Thanks again!

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world war I nerd

You might also check with the Quartermaster Corps Museum in Ft. Lee, Virginia.

 

If you don't mind, please satisfy my curiosity ... Why did you select Army shoe cobblers as the topic for your research paper?

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  • 2 weeks later...
world war I nerd

I just stumbled across the answer to USAFnav's question about how many cobblers were assigned to each infantry regiment.

 

According to the May 1918 dated manual titled, "Equipment Manuals for Service in Europe: Series A-No. 1 Infantry Regiment", a total of 14 "Cobblers' Outfit, Hand" were authorized for each infantry regiment. The tool kits were distributed one per rifle company, of which there were 12, one for HQ Company and another one for the MG Company.

 

That would suggest that there were also fourteen cobblers per infantry regiment dispersed in an identical manner as the cobblers' kits.

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World War I Nerd,

 

I found letters from a Soldier from Wisconsin in our state archives who became the Company cobbler while serving overseas in France in 1918. It piqued my interest as I had no idea the Army formally employed and equipped cobblers! It spiraled from there.

 

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  • 1 year later...

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