Thin Barracks Shoes and Great Hobnailed Hulks Part II

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 183: Details showing the outside tap, and the back of the rivet reinforced counter pocket. The 2^nd Division Medic at right is wearing the Occupation Field Shoe’s predecessor, the Pershing Field Shoe.

Doughboy photo courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 184: More close ups depicting the indelible ink contract stamp, the blucher ear rivet, and the split half of the brass rivet used to reinforce the counter pocket. Despite having all the traits of a 1919 Field Shoe the uppers are inexplicitly dated March 10, 1918, some fourteen months before the 412-2-1351 shoe was even adopted. It’s possible that the quarter pieces of this shoe were cut and dated in March but were not used until much later?

 

[world war I nerd]

With the majority of AEF troops having returned home to America, and the 3^rd Army which occupied Germany about to pass the flag to the much smaller Armed Forces in Germany (AFG), the need for a heavy duty shoe that was designed solely for field service came to an end and a replacement shoe needed to be found. The reasons for this were explained in a QTMC manual published in 1921:

 

In the recent Great War … the Army adopted a shoe copied largely from those used by the Allies. This was commonly known as the “Pershing” shoe, a very heavy shoe, the soles of which are metallic fastened and which is probably more waterproof than the regular welt shoe, and therefore suitable for trench warfare or, for use when vary little marching is required. However, the lack of flexibility and the conductivity of its fastenings make it an unsatisfactory general purpose shoe, especially where rapid marching is necessary. While this type of shoe lends itself to rapid manufacture and its heavy construction results in greater durability and therefore economy of material, this economy is more than offset by the reduced effectiveness on mobile troops.

 

Since the signing of the Armistice the Army shoe has again reverted to the Goodyear type, and while it is of heavier construction than the former welt shoe, yet it provides comfort, neatness of appearance, and durability, the latter feature of which may be increased by the insertion of hobnails and the addition of heel plates.

 

Notes on the Purchasing, Manufacture and Inspection of United States Army Shoes, 1921, page 6

1919 Field Shoe

Specification No. 412-2-9, adopted on June 2, 1919

Official name: Field Shoe

From the viewpoint of economy the post WW I Army ultimately came to the conclusion that it would be much more practical to supply its soldiers who still served in Europe with one shoe that was capable of functioning as a field shoe and as a garrison shoe. The result was a shoe whose durability rivaled that of the Trench Shoe, but whose appearance resembled that of the former Russet Leather Shoe. The 1919 Field Shoe, Specification No. 412-2-9 was adopted as the U.S. Army’s standard shoe for both garrison and field service on June 2, 1919.

 

Photo No. 185: This official QTMC image of the 1919 Field Shoe appeared in the article The Army Shoe Then and Now published in 1921. The second generation of the 1919 Field Shoe, Specification No. 412-2-9A, which was adopted on April 10, 1920, name was officially changed to “Service Shoe”.

[world war I nerd]

The primary characteristics of the second pattern 1919 Field Shoe, Specification No. 412-2-9 are as follows:

• A double leather sole that was constructed from a 7-iron middle sole reinforced with 7 ounces in weight to the yard, white cotton duck material, followed by a 7-iron middle sole, and then a 9-iron outer sole.
• The inner, middle and outer sole were all machine sewed and nailed.
• The shoe incorporated a 4-iron solid leather bottom filler.
• The outer edge of the heel was reinforced with one full row of rectangular iron nails, and one three-quarter row of the same inside of the first row on the outside edge of the heel.
• The shoe’s upper was constructed from smooth side out, chrome-vegetable retanned cowhide that was cut from only the side of a cowhide. The thickness of the leather at the vamp was to be not less than 2 millimeters and not greater than 2.5 millimeters in thickness.
• The shoe once again featured a toe cap or “tip”.
• There were no rivets on the blucher ears.
• Sizes number 5 through 8 1/2 had eight rows of lacing eyelets. Sizes number 9 through 15 had nine rows of brass lacing eyelets. All of the lacing eyelets were “to be metal with brown celluloid tops”.
• The shoe was unlined.
• Each shoe was stamped in indelible ink on the inside of the quarter with the contractor, date of contract, specification number, depot, and the shoe’s size and width.
• In addition, the size and width of the shoe was to be permanently die cut onto the inside of the quarter.
• Each shoe’s size and width was also stamped on the shank of the outer sole near the breast of the heel.
• The weight of each shoe is not known.
• Each shoe was approximately 6 7/8 inches high from the bottom of the heel.
• The shoe was manufactured in 15 lengths running from 5 to 13 by half sizes, and also sizes 14 and 15. There were no half sizes for size number 14 and 15. Each length was available in six commercial widths (A, B, C, D, E & EE), for a total of 90 available sizes.

Photo No. 186: Profile of a 1920 dated 1919 Field Shoe. Note the thickness of the shoe’s sole. It was intentionally made nearly ½ inch thick so that hobnails could be easily inserted converting it into a true Trench Shoe should the need arise.

 

Photo Courtesy of the Airborne53 collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 187: Front view of the 1919 Field Shoe next to two of the men who may have worn it during the American occupation of Germany by the AFG. Celluloid tops on the lacing eyelets were adopted because once the finish on the brown enamel eyelets wore off, the bare metal that was exposed caused the shoe laces to wear out prematurely.

 

Doughboy Photo courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

Shoe photo courtesy of the Airborne53 collection

 

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 188: Left, the back of the shoe reveals a counter pocket similar to that on the specification 412-2-1351 hobnailed, 1919 Field Shoe, but without the split rivets which reinforced that shoe’s counter pocket. Right, the inspector’s acceptance stamp, and “6 D” size and width stamp on the shank of the outer sole. At bottom is the one and three-quarter rows of nails that were intended to prevent the outer edge of the shoe’s heel from being worn away.

 

Photos Compliments of the Airborne53 collection

 

[world war I nerd]

Photo No 189: Left, the contract stamp bearing the contractor’s name the date of the contract, which was May 17, 1920, the size and width (6 D), the contract number, depot and the specification number of 412-2-9. Below is the Boston Depot’s shoe inspector acceptance stamp. Long serving members of the AEF, 3^rd Army or AFG like these two long serving veterans would have been among the first soldiers to be issued the Army’s new smooth soled, russet Field Shoe.

 

Shoe photos Compliments of the Airborne53 collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 190: The soldier standing at the edge of a larger photograph is wearing a pair of russet shoes with a heel counter and a sole that is substantially thicker than any previously issued military shoe. The heavy sole leads me to believe that his shoes may be the double soled, smooth side out, russet leather 1919 Field Shoe.

 

Doughboy photo courtesy of the Charles G. Thomas collection

Shoe photo courtesy of the Airborne53 collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 191: During their service in the Great War, individual Doughboys either loved or hated their hobnailed footwear. Regardless of their opinion, upon being discharged, each soldier was allowed to keep a pair of Trench Shoes as a memento to his service “Over There”. One Doughboy learned of this practice from the local newspaper and quickly disposed of the hobnailed shoes that he so disliked:

 

This happened towards the end of the war. Actually it was after the war was over. But all the soldiers were kept in camp for some time before they broke up. We were issued among our army issues … hob nailed shoes and dress shoes. The hob nailed shoes were very uncomfortable and they hurt my feet.

 

I was what they called the right guard because I was the tallest guy in the company. So the first squad was right behind me. The right guard leads the column, and he may be calling the one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four, hut, hut. I had a fellow in the squad behind me by the name of Fridel. Fridel was a farmer and he thought these hob nailed shoes were great .I said, “Well, I’ll sell mine to you.” So I sold them to him for two dollars.

 

Then one day when going through inspection it became apparent I did not have my hob nailed shoes. They wanted to know what happened to them and called me into the commandant’s office. Incidentally, the commandant, the boss, at least in our set up was a second lieutenant. So he didn’t rank very high. But he was a very officious sort of a guy. He asked me where I sold those shoes. I said, “Well, I read in the Kansas City Star a few days ago that all the army issued to the soldiers was going to be their own property and I didn’t have to return it to the army. I reasoned that it’s my own property and I didn’t want it. And somebody else wanted to buy it. That it was legitimate for me to sell it. So I sold it to him for two dollars.” He said to me, “If you read in the Kansas City Star that you can go home next Wednesday, are you going to go home?” I said, “No sir.” And he said, “You get those shoes back quick and report next Saturday that you have them. You show them to me.” I had no money. I got into one of these crap games and I bought them back from him for two dollars and ten cents. He got a little profit.

 

Francis J. Budinger, Unit Unknown

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 192: Throughout the war there were isolated instances where unscrupulous contractors deliberately defrauded the Government by using inferior material, false stamps, and even bribery. The poor quality of their wares was not forgotten by at least one Doughboy who grumbled:

 

Some of the fellows in the States aptly replied to a question as to what would be done with the boys coming home. Don’t fret about what you’re going to do for the boys, you lie awake nights worrying what those boys are going to do to you! What with raincoats that were as leaky as cheese cloth and shoes that could not be worn, somebody’ll catch it!

 

Private First Class George Stanley Lamb, Company B, 318^th Engineer Regiment, 6^th Division, AEF

However, according to statistics kept by the Boston Depot, the Army’s largest shoe center, through which nearly 19 million pairs of shoes of all types passed between April 1917 and April 1919, an average of just one out of every ninety-two pairs of shoes were found to be defective.

 

A true testament of the Trench Shoe’s durability and of its ability to withstand the test of time can be seen in the following photographs. On the left, a pair of 1917Trench Shoes is worn by a Doughboy clad in the brown cotton duck jumper and blue denim trousers which comprised the 1918 fatigue uniform. To the right, a similar pair of Trench Shoes resides on the recently discovered remains of Marine 1^st Sergeant George Humphrey from the 6^th Marine Regiment who was killed in the St, Mihiel sector. Both the Marine and the shoes had been buried in an unmarked grave for nearly a century. Aside from being flattened by the weight of the earth under which they were buried, the soles, uppers and even the shoe laces appear to still be more or less intact!

 

Doughboy photo courtesy of the Charles G. Thomas collection

At last! The end of the post … Thanks for looking.

World War I Nerd …

[scmcgeorge]

Nerd: Amazing effort, glad I could assist, Steve McG

[world war I nerd]

Thanks Steve,

 

This post never would have been possible without the material you sent me. The information you provided filled in many of the blanks regarding the development of WW I era field shoes.

[world war I nerd]

Airborne53 kindly sent me these photos of his WW I shoes to add to the post. By the way all of them were found in France. Thanks Olivier … World War I Nerd

 

Photo No. 193: Given the fact this pair of 1912 Russet Leather Shoes have been hobnailed and that they were found in France, indicates that they were probably refurbished by the Salvage Service during the war. It appears that no repairs were made to the upper of the shoe. However, a half sole has been tacked onto the outer sole and then hobnailed. There is no way to know for sure, but it also looks as if the shoe may have been re-heeled. Note the unusual pattern of the hobnails – two rows around the edge of the sole with a diamond pattern in the center.

Photos courtesy of the Airborne53 collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 194: Details of the above shoe showing its back, front and contract stamp which unfortunately does not show a specification number. The Doughboy on the right sports a 30^th Infantry Division SSI and he is also wearing a pair of 1912 Russet Leather Shoes (without hobnails).

Shoe photos courtesy of the Airborne53 collection

Doughboy photo courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 195: An unissued pair of late war production “transition” type 1917 Trench Shoes. Even though the contract stamp on the quarter was just an illegible smudge, these shoes are probably Specification No. 1271 Field Shoes that were manufactured sometime after the adoption of the Pershing Shoe in March of 1918. They have been factory dubbined, have a third pattern heel counter, as well as hobnails on the inner heel.

Photos courtesy of the Airborne53 collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 196: Front and back of the above shoe. Note the widened backstay with three rows of stitching. The 1^st Division Doughboy in the center wears a French style overseas cap, shortened 1917 Overcoat and 1917 pattern Trench Shoes.

Shoe photos courtesy of the Airborne53 collection

Doughboy photo courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 197: An unusual pair of 1918 Pershing Shoes with a rivet reinforced backstay that appears to have been done at the factory. Aside from the addition of the rivets they appear to be either Specification 1309 or 1310 Field Shoes with a third pattern heel counter, riveted blucher ears, triple sole, factory applied dubbin, hobnailed inner heel, and a steel toe plate.

Shoe photos courtesy of the Airborne53 collection

 

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 198: Rear view of the backstay showing three rows of stitching and three brass rivets on each side. Front view showing the steel toe plate. The Doughboy at center is a member of the Motor Transport Corps. Note that he has decorated his pistol belt with captured German buttons, and is wearing 1917 pattern Trench Shoes.

Shoe photos courtesy of the Airborne53 collection

Doughboy photo courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

 

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 199: The faint contract stamp indicates that this particular pair of Pershing Shoes are Specification No. 1324. That specification did not differ significantly from earlier specifications of the Pershing Shoe as the only change was that the shoe could be made from either vegetable tanned or chrome vegetable retanned cowhide.

Shoe photos courtesy of the Airborne53 collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 200: Details of the above shoe showing the back of the third pattern heel counter, steel toe plate, die cut “7 ½ D” size marking and the numeral ‘21’ inside of a box, which I believe represented the firm that manufactured the shoe. What remains of the contract stamp shows the contract number, Boston Depot, and Specification No. 1324. The 33^rd Division Doughboy on the far right is wearing a pair of 1917 Trench Shoes.

Shoe photos courtesy of the Airborne53 collection

Doughboy photo courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

[jagjetta]

WOW...I am exhausted, but have enough left in me to say, "WOW. That is some serious research." So well done. Thank you so much for taking the time to assemble it and advance the study of WWI US material culture!

 

John

 

[world war I nerd]

Forum Member Robinb sent me these photos of his WW I shoes to add to the post …Thanks Robin

 

Photo No. 201: This is another pair of shoes that were refurbished by the AEF Salvage Service. Therefore they fall into the category of “Salvage Shoes”. Technically they were likely started life as Specification No. 1271 Trench Shoes as they have a third pattern heel counter whose upper edge runs parallel to the sole.

Photo courtesy of the Robinb collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 202: During the salvage process the shoes can be described as a “routine repair” having received a set of half soles, new hobnails and replacement heels. Note the square style French hobnails that were commonly used by the Salvage Service, and the two five sided hobnails that may be of British manufacture. The upper right hand photo shows the bottom of a resoled British shoe bearing a handful of similar pentagon shaped hobnails.

Photos (except the British shoe) courtesy of the Robinb collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No 203: This pair of russet leather shoes appear to be commercially made for either civilian or military wear. Both the sole and heel have been reinforced with a hobnails that are smaller in diameter that those used on Trench and Pershing Shoes. The inset is a close up of the shoe’s hobnails. It’s possible that the shoes were privately purchased by or soldier or an officer for field duty. Without knowing the source of the shoes, it’s impossible to know for sure.

Photo courtesy of the Robinb collection

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 204: This pair of shoes came out of the estate of an Army officer who served in both World Wars. Both the shape of the shoe and the remains of the Paris label indicate that they are French made. Based on the fact that the officer served in the Pacific theater during WW II, they must be leftover from his service in the Great War. Numerous AEF officers purchased a complete wardrobe overseas for both walking out and for the trenches … including shoes. Despite not having a hobnailed sole this pair of officer’s shoes look heavy enough to have been worn in the field, or when the smooth side out russet leather was polished, they could have been worn while promenading the boulevards of “Gay Paree”.

Photos courtesy of the Robinb collection