What equipment were World War I Soldiers kitted out with??
You should read the Daily Mail. They published a response on this recently. From the Somme the one thing most British students are taught was that the men generally carried 80 pounds of gear, and walked to war… Irishmen at the Somme (20% of those men of eligible age fought in WW1 remember) reported “Each soldier in the first wave carried his weapon, 220 rounds of ammunition, two grenades, extra rations, two gas helmets, an entrenching tool, wire cutters, and two sandbags.” Charley’s war has: “Each man had a metal flash on the collar of his uniform designed to reflect the sun so the artillery spotters could see the extent of their advance. All men were to be in fighting kit, that is; belt, bayonet, water-bottle, ammunition pouches, and entrenching tool. On their backs, a groundsheet and haversack containing; mess-tin, tinned rations, extra iron rations, spare socks and laces. Around their necks each had two gas helmets and goggles against tear gas. Some carried wire-cutters, over half
