Was there such a thing as officer's leg wraps/puttees?

[19MJR91]

I'm asking this question because I'm attempting to put together a WWI officer uniform. I remembered seeing this auction for what was billed as officer quality puttees a while ago, but I am unsure as to whether or not such a thing actually existed. I am used to thinking of officers with either leather gaiters or knee high boots.

[patches]

 

 

I'm asking this question because I'm attempting to put together a WWI officer uniform. I remembered seeing this auction for what was billed as officer quality puttees a while ago, but I am unsure as to whether or not such a thing actually existed. I am used to thinking of officers with either leather gaiters or knee high boots.

Perhaps member World War I nerd can say for sure .

[MAW]

There was not a special version or model of puttees for officers.

 

"Officer quality" puttees are a different matter..........that just basically means a private-purchased pair, rather than issued ones.

 

Some might be made of a better wool, or tapered in a fashionable way, etc.

[RustyCanteen]

Officers had to purchase their own uniforms which met regulation standards. These included leather leggins and wool puttees. Many companies offered private purchase wool puttees, and an a US officer could have purchased them stateside, in England, or in France. Usually they have a label on one end with the brand name on it, but not always.

 

WWI Nerd can add a more in-depth reply.

 

RC

[GIl Sanow]

I would agree. Officers could wear the wool puttees, or canvas leggings for that matter, and they would have been privately purchased. I have seen several non-issue (I think) types made of knitted material as opposed to woven material, so I suspect these would have been the type worn by officers, but I suspect anyone could have purchased them.

 

You are correct also about leather leggings. While officers are almost always seen wearing these, there were few photos taken in combat situations. The leather Sam Browne belt was not worn in the trenches because it would immediately identify an officer to an enemy sniper. Certainly leather leggings would have done the same thing.

 

G

[Garandomatic]

Officers also had a thing for private-purchase trench boots. I grabbed my copy of Jonathan Gawne's book "Over There!" to check a picture that I thought might be helpful, but the only man that is an officer is wearing trench boots (p. 66, "trench raiding party). I might imagine that puttees might be popular to blend in with the enlisted, but like said above, there are few combat-area shots to examine, and I imagine they were often discarded after 11/11.

[GIl Sanow]

Good point.

 

G

[LtRGFRANK]

I have several enlisted pairs and one with a manufactor dated and labeled. I think that would be a private purchase and maybe an Officer.

[world war I nerd]

Puttees were actually reccommended to replace canvas leggings by an Army equipment board in 1912, but as near as I can tell, they were not actually adopted until America entered WW I. Perhaps, the Army was using the Punitive Expedition for field trials or maybe the officers just liked the puttees more than riding boots or shoes and leather leggings.

 

However, there are numerous period photos of officers serving in Mexico with the Punitive Expedition wearing woolen puttees with the 1914 Russet Leather Shoe. There are also quite a few circa 1912-1916 official QTMC photos of enlisted men wearing "the complete dismounted equipment" or whatever, where the the soldier in the photo is wearing woolen wrap puttees not canvas or leather leggings.

 

Puttees are one of the most difficult items to nail down, in respect to determining exactly what they are, because so many were made. The colors and quality were all over the map. I have seen a handful of examples of issued or regulation enlisted men's putees with small dated tags sewn onto one end. Presumably, the tags were common when new but rapidly came off through wear and washing.

 

Based on the photograph and the obvious high quality of the wool, I would agree with everybody's assessment that they those puttees were privately purchased for use by an officer. Without any tags or labels it's difficult to know for sure. As mentioned, commercially made puttees usually features a maker's label when new. Again through use, it's likely that these labels also dissapeared.

 

They could also be English or French, manufacture, but they're probably U.S. Regardless of where they were made they are appropriate for an officer in the AEF. and a nice pair of officer quality wrap puttees.

 

Attached are two period advertisements for woolen puttees the one on the left is from the August 1917 issue of Vanity Fair magazine. The other is from The American Legion Weekly October 1919.

[world war I nerd]

Here is a photo of an Army bugler c 1911 wearing woolen puttees.

 

He's also wearing a 1902(?) Campaign Hat, 1907 Flannel Shirt, 1902 Garrison Shoes, the breeches are likely 1907 pattern. He also appears to be wearing a 1909 Mounted Cartridge Belt with pockets for loose revolver rounds, and a .45 caliber revolver and holster. Note the early style 1910 Canteen Carrier with toggles instead of eagle snaps on the flaps.

[world war I nerd]

I don't know what I was thinking ... Hold on, maybe I wasn't thinking. Nevertheless, my caption for the photo of the bugler should read 1905(?) Campaign Hat and 1902/04(?) Garrison Shoes.

[patches]

@WWI nerd, thank's for your esteemed insight and information.

[19MJR91]

Thanks to everyone who responded to this, especially WWI Nerd! I'll keep a lookout for similar high quality puttees in the future. At the ones I linked to were up for auction, I wasn't working on a WWI officer uniform. They are certainly more accessible than the knee high riding boots.

[MattOravik]

Here is a photo of an Army bugler c 1911 wearing woolen puttees.

 

He's also wearing a 1902(?) Campaign Hat, 1907 Flannel Shirt, 1902 Garrison Shoes, the breeches are likely 1907 pattern. He also appears to be wearing a 1909 Mounted Cartridge Belt with pockets for loose revolver rounds, and a .45 caliber revolver and holster. Note the early style 1910 Canteen Carrier with toggles instead of eagle snaps on the flaps.

 

That is an incredible picture. That canteen carrier is not the standard early version with toggles and squared flaps, but the experimental version that had the toggles and flaps that were rounded. It also has quilted pattern stitching on top front.

[world war I nerd]

Thanks for the info on the canteen Matt.

 

When I posted the photo, I was scratching my head about the rounded flaps. I didn't mention it at the time because I thought maybe I was mistaken, as the earliest canteen cover that I owned had squared off flaps with rimless eagle snaps that were reinforced with leather on the backside. I have some other photos taken around the same time showing the first pattern 1910 Haversack, I'll have to go back and take a closer look at them to see if there's anything unusual.

[MattOravik]

There is some information about that canteen cover somewhere on the forum. I believe any of the pictures I've seen of them were copied from old equipment manuals and low quality. That pic may be worth reposting in the field gear section to see if we can get more info. One forum member here owns the incredibly rare experimental canteen that was sold on ebay years ago.

 

-Matt.