West Front
Summary
with Flash animated maps
Troops of the Western Front
soldier's
photo gallery
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Troops of the
Western Front
The images below show just a few of the many
different types of uniforms and styles which were used during the course of the
war on the western front. Despite pre-war experiments with camoflage and other
modern ideas, typical line troops began the war wearing an almost Victorian era
style of uniform. The ravages of the fighting quickly transformed everything,
from clothing and boots to grenades and helmets. By the end of the war, the
uniforms and weapons carried by troops were far different than those used a
mere four years earlier when the war began. |
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 An
excellent photo of the standard early war French infantry uniform. The dark
blue jacket and kepi (cloth cap) contrasted sharply with the red trousers,
which were kept mostly due to tradition and political conflicts. This outdated
uniform made an excellent target on the modern battlefield, and thousands were
killed before this unfortunate color combination was changed. |
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 A few years later and the scene has
changed completely. The blue jacket has given way to a single-breasted
blue-grey tunic, the same material being used for the trousers. The deadly
rains of artillery shrapnel have mandated steel helmets in place of the light
cloth caps of 1914. Note the trench scene surrounding these men. In the
background can be seen barbed wire entanglements anchored in place by metal
posts, some of which can be seen piled against a wall immediately behind the
man of the right. |
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 This close-up shows a German officer and
one of his men wearing the early war tunic. This tunic pattern was later
replaced by a simpler "bluse" tunic which had a cloth fly over the buttons and
deep, buttonless cuffs. The garrison cap worn by the enlisted man on the right
is the common style worn by most troops while not in combat. As the war
progressed, the heavy leather boots shown here were replaced by puttee
leg wrappings and hobnailed shoes. |
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 An excellent view of typical early-war
German line infantry. These troops are wearing the famous picklehaub helmets,
which were later replaced by the shrapnel-resistant steel stahlhelm. Also note
their early war style boots and tunics. Also clearly visible are the bayonets
and entrenching tools slung at their left sides, their rifles and their heavy
packs. |
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