Emergency Uniforms on the Yser Front II

So what did the Belgian Army look like in late 1914 and early 1915? First, traces of the old uniform would have been seen up through the first months of 1916. The field jacket, the black leather anklets and pre-war boots all remained somewhat common, though French boots and puttees would have also been worn. Additionally, nearly 95,000 pairs of the M1904 Russet Garrison boot were procured from the United States. The M1896 belt and ammunition pouch were also seen for some time; in fact, black leather y-straps were issued in 1915 to help support the ammunition pouch, in lieu of the knapsack. Images also show that the bread bag strap could also be used to support the ammunition pouch by looping it around one's neck, much like the German army took to doing. Otherwise, accoutrements were largely a mix of Belgian and French, with many M1884 French cavalry and M1877 1-litre canteens being issued, as well as many French M1888 ammunition pouches. Later in 1915, leather bandoleer-style ammunition pouches would be issued that closely resembled the M1909 Mauser 'Argentine' pouches (see photo to the left). Pre-war field caps would have also been seen, though there is some evidence that the men took to modifying these, adding chinstraps and visors.

A number of gros bleu would have survived the retreat to the Yser as well, but these were being temporarily replaced by a simplified overcoat that was being produced in French factories. These coats would have varied in pattern, material, weave, and shade. Some were even made using civilian patterns and cloth. Generally, they were cut shorter than their predecessors, and they lacked the buttoned slotted cuffs and brass belt hooks. Most were initially dark blue, but they were eventually produced in a range of colors, including from a blue-grey cloth procured in England (known as English Army Cloth). The buttons, which included for the first time the national buttons featuring the Belgian Lion, were painted any shade of dark blue or blue-grey. Even these simplified coats could not be produced in near the quantity needed, and by the summer of 1915 they were no longer the required on-service coat. A simplified version of the M1897 jacket was also issued, along the same lines as the simplified greatcoat.

Pre-war trousers would have been increasingly rare, and the French-supplied corduroy trousers would have been seen with more frequency by the close of 1914. These came in a range of colors, including black, but the most common seems to have been a brownish-red color. This ‘wine-red’ color was issued to French troops as well, which probably explains its regularity among the Belgian soldiers. Knee reinforcements were added to Belgian trousers beginning in December of 1914. These continued to be seen on each variation of issued pants throughout the duration of the war. Trouser piping was officially done away with in March of 1915.

Efforts were made to give some semblance of uniformity to the ranks. In addition to the new, simplified version of the blue greatcoat, a new universal service cap was introduced. The ‘Yser cap’ can be seen in the photos above and at the top of the previous page. It was based on the cap already worn by the Engineers; a soft-topped dark blue or dark green kepi with folding double flaps that could be pulled down and fastened under the chin, thus giving some cover for the cheeks and neck. It was intended that the crowns be piped in the different branch colors and that a regimental number be worn on the front, but many were probably left without trimming or decoration of any kind. The caps proved unsuitable for the wet conditions along the Yser front, however, and they were abandoned in the autumn of 1915, around the same time that the simplified greatcoat was replaced.

There was also a short-lived effort to maintain the M1891 leather anklet. However, the leather being used was much thinner than before, and the newly manufactured gaiters proved both unsuitable and unpopular. Many soldiers simply tucked their trousers into their socks until they received French puttees (most likely dark blue, but a variety of colors would have been seen). Leather gaiters were again issued with the M1915 Khaki Uniform, now in brown rather than black, to match the new boots and leather accoutrements of the same color. These were never universal, and they were not widely seen until the final two years of the war.

These emergency measures resulted in a collage of uniforms. They certainly changed the appearance of the Belgian soldier, who, in any case, was not the only one being issued emergency supplies through the winter of '14-'15. All the while, efforts were under way to secure a better long-term system of supply, one that was capable of providing for a new Belgian army with a completely new look. The Belgian government began purchasing large quantities of arms and ammunition. They procured space and supplies in Calais for repairing their artillery, and they procured their own ammunition factory at Le Havre. They also purchased a small-arms factory in England. No longer able to obtain their Mauser rifles from Germany, the Belgians turned to the Browning Company in the United Kingdom, with whom they already had contracts, for the production of their favored weapon. An American company, Hopkins and Allen, would later produce the Belgian Mauser as well. Finally, both Rouen and Rennes became principal supply centers for both French and Belgian-manufactured uniforms and equipment for the next four years. Progress was slow at first, but by the mid-summer of 1915 the efforts toward resupplying the Belgian forces had resulted in a system that would see the Belgians through to the end of the war. Illustrations of the Yser uniforms can be seen here (left page).

This photo shows Belgian troops during the Second Battle of Ypres wearing the Yser cap and an early anti-gas mask. The Belgians were some of the first soldiers to experience the use of poisonous gas on the battlefield.