AEF Gasmasks & Respirators 1917 to 1919

[world war I nerd]

Dog Gasmasks

The dog’s innate qualities of intelligence, loyalty and devotion were valued and used in various capacities by the Armies of all combatants during the Great War. With the introduction of chemical warfare in 1915, it became necessary to protect the soldiers, as well as the animals they employed from the harmful effects of the airborne toxins. This included horses, mules, dogs and pigeons.

 

Photo No. 135: Dogs were used extensively by the German, French, and British Armies to carry medical supplies to the first aid men and wounded soldiers who were in urgent need of something other than their personal field dressings. Clockwise from upper left, a French medical dog, Red Cross medical dog, and a detachment of German first aid men, each with a medical dog.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 136: Dogs were also used by the British, and especially by the German Armies, and to a lesser extent by the AEF, to carry messages from the front lines, and also to lay communications cable. Two British messenger dogs can be seen in the left hand column. The inset to the right shows a close up of the canister which housed the message on the collar of yet another British messenger dog. The upper right hand photo shows two German messenger dogs in the trenches. The blurry dog, on the far right, has just been released, and is speeding back towards higher headquarters with an urgent missive. The lower canine is wearing a special harness that was designed to dispense telephone wire.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 137: Larger dogs were often employed as beasts of burden to pull lighter loads, such as weapons, ammunition, and other critical supplies. Dogs are used here to haul Belgian (left) and British (right) automatic weapons.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 138: Dogs were unofficially trained to follow their natural predatory instincts to hunt rats in the trenches. They were further used as sentries, because their acute sense of hearing would detect an enemy patrol or raiding party well in advance of the human guards on duty. In addition, man’s best friend’s keen sense of smell, enabled it to forewarn troops in the trench of gas, seconds or even minutes before it actually arrived.

 

The YMCA dog on the left had been trained to carry cigarettes to the Doughboys in the trenches. Presumably before the advent of official dog respirators, makeshift canine gasmasks were improvised using available materials. In the case of the right hand dog, no creative thinking was necessary, as it is wearing a regulation French M2 Gasmask.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 139: Canine respirators were officially devised by Germany and France. It is not known if Great Britain followed suit, but it would seem likely that it did. According to General Amos A. Fries, the commander of the AEF Gas Service, an American dog gasmask, patterned after the U.S. equine gasmask, was developed for use by canines during the war. It is not known if the U.S. dog gasmask ever saw service with the AEF. It is however, quite possible that French made dog gasmasks, and British, if they were in fact devised, were used by the AEF. The general described the American made dog mask thusly:

 

The use of dogs in messenger service and Red Cross work, in which gassed areas must be passed, led to the designing of a mask to give the animal suitable protection. The same materials and methods of impregnation were used as in the horse mask. With eight layers of cheesecloth, adequate protection against mustard gas was secured with practically no pressure drop.

 

The eyepieces were made of thin sheets of cellulose acetate bound around the edge with adhesive tape and sewed directly over the openings cut through the mask’s fabric. The ear pockets were made round and full enough to fit pointed or lop-eared animals. The mask is continued to form a wide neck band which may be drawn up by two adjustable straps. It is made sufficiently full to allow a free movement of the dog’s jaw and yet tight enough around the neck to avoid the possibility of being pawed off. The dog apparently soon became accustomed to wearing the mask.

 

Chemical Warfare, 1921, BG Amos A, Fries & Clarence J. West, page 280

The masks worn by these war dogs are clockwise from upper left, German made, improvised French and French made.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 140: Close up of the German made dog respirator, which appears to have utilized the same eyepieces that were used on the 1917 Lederschutzmaske, one of which is shown in the inset.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 141: The improvised French canine gasmask looks to have been fashioned from the predecessor of the M2 Gasmask, which only covered a soldier’s mouth and nose. The dog’s eyes are protected from gas by a pair of French gas goggles, both of which are worn by the French Piolu to the left.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 142: The close up of this French made canine gasmask shows that it enclosed the entire head of the dog, much like the U.S. mask described by General Fries above. The French mask also closely resembles the soldier’s M2 Gasmask and the French horse respirator shown in photo number 127.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 143: The overwhelming majority of dogs in the AEF were unofficially adopted as pets and mascots to raise morale and provide comfort to the homesick Doughboys amidst the hardships of war. Although there is no concrete proof available, it would seem likely that their handlers would have gone to great lengths to provide some form of improvised or regulation anti-gas protection for their four legged friends.

 

Left hand image courtesy of Portraits of War.com

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 144: It’s probably safe to assume that nearly every regiment and division within the AEF kept a dog, cat, or some other more unusual animal as a mascot. From left to right is an unnamed 4^th Division mascot, “Stubby”, the 26^th Division’s and perhaps the most well known mascot of the AEF, and “Sergeant Helen Kaiser”, who is said to have been the first American dog to enter German territory. The caption that accompanied this newspaper photo read as follows:

 

Here is Seargt. Helen Kaiser, the heroic war mascot of the First Separate Battalion District National Guard, who was twice decorated with the Croix de Guerre by her regiment for bravery in the trenches, and who has just returned to Washington with her owner, Private James M. White, colored. The dog was gassed and wounded by shrapnel while in the Champagne sector, fighting with the “Bloody Hand” Division. She was the first American dog to enter German territory and has been with the 372^nd Infantry since she was born in Potomac Park fifteen months ago.

 

Underneath the images are the 4^th Division, 26^th Division, and 93^rd Division insignia, as worn by their respective mascots.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 145: “Bing”, the mascot of the 136^th Machine Gun Battalion, 37^th Division and another unnamed 37^th Division mascot are shown along with an example of the 37^th Division’s insignia.

 

Left hand image courtesy of the 37^th guy collection

Right hand image courtesy of the 1^st Div Vet collection

[world war I nerd]

Pigeon Gas Protection

It is said that over 16 million animals served in the Great War, each of which presented a different challenge in regard to protection from gas. Pigeons played a vital role in maintaining communications between the combat soldiers who fought in advanced positions and their military commanders when other methods of communication were impossible. Flying at a top speed of approximately 87 miles per hour, communication via a messenger pigeon was found to be faster and more reliable than the primitive radio, telephone and telegraph systems that were employed by the Armies fighting on the Western Front.

 

Photo No. 146: Flying at the rate of a mile a minute, pigeons performed heroically and saved thousands of lives. Whether the bird took flight from the bridge of a naval vessel, from the confines of an aeroplane’s cockpit, from a cramped wicker basket behind enemy lines, or from the deafening interior of a clattering tank, a pigeon would struggle through shot and shell, and through all types of weather to deliver the important dispatches that it carried.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 147: Mobile pigeon lofts (left) were commonly used so that birds and their handlers could be moved as required by the ebb and flow of combat. In the AEF, messenger pigeons were a part of the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Each Signal Corps carrier pigeon station was composed of two pigeon keepers and a flight of twelve pigeons divided into three flights of four birds. The flights were designated by the letters ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’. Each lettered flight required a squad of eight men to maintain it. According to a Signal Corps manual on liaison:

 

107. Each command post of a battalion or regiment must be supplied with carrier pigeon stations. No pigeon will be released without carrying a message, if only to mention that the situation is unchanged.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 148: Messages were placed into a small canister that was attached to the pigeon’s leg (right& left). When released, the bird’s innate sense of direction, would guide it back to the loft from which it hailed. Upon entering the loft somewhere to the rear of the fighting, a trip wire would sound a bell alerting the keeper on duty that a bird had landed.

 

At center is the British carrier pigeon “Cher Ami”, who became one of the most well known heroes of the Argonne campaign in 1918. On October 3, 1918, 500 soldiers from the 77^th Division were lost, cut off, and trapped behind enemy lines with almost no food and very little ammunition. Within 24 hours, 60% of the command was dead, wounded, captured or missing and the surviving members were being shelled by their own artillery. The battalion commander, Major Charles Whittlesey, scribbled a hasty note reading, “Many wounded, we cannot evacuate”. The pigeon carrying that missive was immediately shot down. A second bird was dispatched with a memo that read, “Men are suffering. Can support be sent?” That bird was also shot out of the sky. Down to his last pigeon – Cher Ami, bearing the message, “We are along road parallel to 276:4. Own artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us. For Heaven’s sake, stop it! was instantly shot and fell to the ground. Miraculously, Cher Ami regained flight. Despite having been shot through the breast, blinded in one eye, and with one leg dangling by a tendon, Cher Ami managed to cover the 25 miles to its loft, through a heavy artillery barrage, in as many minutes. The bird’s incredible tenacity enabled 194 survivors of the “Lost Battalion” to be rescued.

 

Surgeons of the 77^th Division nursed the critically wounded bird back to health and fitted it with a wooden leg. Cher Ami was awarded the Croix de Guerre with palm for its heroic service and was made the official mascot of the U.S. Army Signal Corps Pigeon Service. Cher Ami died in June of 1919, but lives on as part of the WW I display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 149: Although they were primarily used as messengers, pigeons carrying small cameras were sometimes put to use as aerial photographers. Before launching, a timer was set on the camera, which snapped the camera’s shutter at predetermined intervals while the pigeon flew over enemy territory.

[world war I nerd]

Photo No. 150: In terms of gas protection, pigeons were too small to wear a gasmask. In the event of a gas attack, pigeon enclosures were protected by a gas-proof cover or curtain. On the left is a portable British pigeon carrier fitted with a removable gas-proof curtain. Note that the curtain has been fitted with sleeves designed to ensure that no gas entered the enclosure. On the right, Doughboys display a pigeon enclosure and removable gas curtain separately. If no cover was available, pigeons were to be released to escape the effects of a gas cloud. Because the birds could quickly fly above a gas cloud without harm, it was possible to release pigeons bearing messages during a gas attack.

[bobgee]

Another OUTSTANDING piece of work. Thanks for sharing. Bobgee

[TrenchRat]

WWINerd,

 

Another fantastic post !

 

I don't think there is any one item of the soldier's gear that is more iconic for the First World War than the gas mask. This is a very sobering topic. Great job, my friend...

 

Glenn

[world war I nerd]

Manufacturers of U.S. Gasmask Parts

Compiled by Rusty Canteen

 

Face Pieces 1917- 1918(incomplete listing):

March 4, 1918: B. F. Goodrich Co. of Akron OH.
April 9, 1918: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Akron OH.
April 17, 1918: C. Kenyon Co. Brooklyn NY.

 

Eyepieces 1917-1918 (incomplete listing):

February 21, 1918: Fulford Manufacturing Co. provenance RI (Eyepieces).

March 26, 1918: Super Glass Co. of Philadelphia PA (Lenses).
May 7, 1918, contract no. 1313: Bayley & Sons Inc. NY, NY (3-Ply Glass Lenses)
June 3, 1918, contract no. 1390: Fulford Manufacturing Co. provenance RI (Eyepieces)
June 22, 1918, contract no. 1481: Ritter Can & Specialty Co. Phila. PA (Complete Eyepieces 3,000,000 units)
August 27, 1918, contract no. 1701: Ultra Glass Co. Camden NJ (3-Ply Lenses 1,000,000).
August 28, 1918, contract no. 1682: Landers Frary & Clark. New Britain CT (Eyepieces, Lamb Type 3,000,000 units).
September 14, 1918, contract no.1693: Vitrocell Co. Columbus OH (3-Ply Lenses1,000,000 units).
September 14, 1918, contract no.1700: Indestructo Lens and Windshield Co. Brooklyn NY (3-Ply Lenses 1,000,000 units).
September 16, 1918, contract no.1721: Fulford Manufacturing Co. provenance RI (Number 1 type eye pieces 1,500,000 units).

 

Flutter Guard Valves 1917-1918 (incomplete listing)

April 11, 1918, contract no. 1297: Stanley Works, New Britain CT.
June 25, 1918: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Akron OH.

July 25, 1918, contract no.1565: Kales Stamping Co. Detroit MI (2,000,000 units).
July 25, 1918, contract no.1566: J.W. Murray Co. Detroit MI (2,000,000 units).

Rubber Hoses 1917-1918 (incomplete listing):

February 2, 1918: Pennsylvania Rubber Co. Jeanette PA.

 

Misc. Mask Parts 1917-1918 (incomplete listing):

July 10, 1917: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Akron Ohio awarded contract for rubber parts.

[world war I nerd]

Filter Canisters 1917-1918:

1917: Canisters; American Can Co. Brooklyn NY.
March 16, 1918, contract no.1306: Landers, Frary & Clark. New Britain CT.
April 22, 1918, contract no.1265: Ritter Can & Specialty Co. Philadelphia. PA.
May 9, 1918, contract no.1332: Landers, Frary & Clark. New Britain CT.
June 24, 1918, contract no.1409: Hero Manufacturing Co. Philadelphia. PA (1,920,000 units).
August 7, 1918, contract no.1616: Passaic Metal Ware Co. Passaic NJ.
September 7, 1918, contract no.1615: Ritter Can & Specialty Co. Philadelphia, PA (575,000 units).
October 25, 1918, contract no.1762: American Can Co. NY, NY (1,000,000 units).

 

Hero Manufacturing marked their cans with a Maltese cross like design with "HERO" inside. Passaic Metal Ware Co. used a rectangle with "P.M.W.Co" inside.

 

Record Cards 1917-1919:

1917: Seaver Howland Press. Boston MA.
1917: Beetle & MacLean Manufacturing Co. Boston MA.

June 21, 1918 - April 5, 1919, contract no. 1407: Dennison Manufacturing Co., Framingham MA (6,000,000 units).

[world war I nerd]

Gasmask Haversacks 1917-1918:

July 2, 1917, contract no. 164: Simmons Hardware Co. of St. Louis MO.

July 2, 1917, contract no. 1039: Simmons Hardware Co. of St. Louis MO.

November 1, 1917, contract no. 1072: Langrock Bros. NY, NY.
February 25, 1918, contract no. 1202: Simmons Hardware Co. St Louis MO.
March 1, 1918: contract no. 1201: Rosenwasser Bros. Long Island City, L.I. NY.
March 20, 1918: North & Judd, New Britain CT (hardware only).

March 20, 1918: Steffens-Amberg Co., Newark NJ (hardware only).
April 3, 1918, contract no. 1290: Jas. Phelan & Sons, Lynn MA (Hardware only).
June 13, 1918, contract no. 1247: Simmons Hardware Co. St Louis MO.

June 19, 1918, contract no.1426: R.H. Long Co. Framingham MA (1,000,000 units).

July 2, 1918: R. H. Long, Framingtonham MA.

July 26, 1918, contract no. 1547: Rosenwasser Bros. Long Island City NY.

September 13, 1918, contract no. 1694: Simmons Hardware Co. St. Louis MO (2,000,000 units).

September 16, 1918, contract no. 1719: Jas. Phelan & Sons, Lynn MA (2,000,000 units).

Contract no.1758, Canceled March 10, 1919: Rosenwasser Bros. Long Island City NY (2,000,000 units).

November 18, 1918, contract no. 1757: R.H. Long Co. Framingham MA (2,000,000 units). Contract probably.

I think there may have been two others, but I need to get my notes straight. Over 7 million haversacks were contracted for between June 1918 and November 1918 alone.

 

Completed masks 1917-1918:

August 1, 1917: Hero Manufacturing Co. Philadelphia PA – completed gasmasks.

June 24, 1918, contract no. 1315: Hero Manufacturing Co. Philadelphia. PA (960,000 units).

 

This contract was amended to include the following:

December 16, 1918, contract no.1887: Storage; Hero Manufacturing Co. Philadelphia. PA.
January 11, 1919, contract no. 1890: Hero Manufacturing Co. Philadelphia. PA (cost of alteration in changing from the A.T. to the C.E. masks).

Still sorting this all out, but one company was told (by accident) to make the aluminum eyepieces from a thicker gauge of sheet aluminum than required. That apparently occurred from June 1918 to November 1918. I think this is backwards, but it is saying that one company was given additional money to cover the costs of changing from "A.T. to the C.E." mask in January 1918. It should be the reverse, from CE to AT.

[Eric]

Another great informative topic. Thanks for your effort and sharing this information.

[Michigan Dawg]

Just an incredible piece of work and thanks so much not only for doing the research but making it so readily available to us.

 

If possible, could you comment on the range of acceptable colors in which the bags and slings might have been produced? It seems (just looking at photos of surviving examples) that the vast majority of them are in khaki. However, some photos seem to suggest that they may also appear in shades of olive drab ranging from light green to a dusty brown.

 

Can you comment?

 

Thanks again.

[world war I nerd]

Hi Dawg,

 

Thanks for reading the post. I didn't encountered any specific information regarding the official color of US made gasmask satchels. The specifications likely called for them to be a shade of olive drab matching the sealed sample kept by the Quartermaster Corps. But due to the shortage of quality olive drab dye and suitable olive drab fabric, which became more acute as the war progressed, the pre-war color standards were relaxed in order to keep up with the needs of America's ever growing military.

 

As a result, I've seen gasmask satchels that range in color from a light khaki tan to almost a chocolate brown color, as well as a wide variety of shades of olive drab. Gasmask satchels also frequently show up with a khaki colored bag and an olive drab sling or vice versa. There was probably slightly more uniformity in regard to their color in 1917 and early 1918. But as the need for more and more olive drab equipment of all types increased in the summer and fall of 1918, it's probably safe to assume that the array of fabric colors used to fabricate that equipment also grew.

[Michigan Dawg]

world war I nerd, thanks very much for the reply. And thanks again for such a great piece of research and writing.