Gaiters

[topbreak]

Here's a question.  I know that troops that were stuck with ankle boots were issued with gaiters, often either US, British, or French copies of the same.  Towards the end of the French period, was there any pattern that predominated, or was it still a matter of whatever the supply sergeant had on hand?

Also, on a somewhat related note.  Were French troops who were issued British p/37 equipment also inflicted with that uniquely British punishment known as Blanco?

[can]

I have a pair of French gaiters from that time period, they are exact copies of WWII US gaiters. I try to post some pictures

[stalder]

The book (La Legion Etrangere en Indochine 1946-1956 /Ramond Guyader ) says that the French gaiters were named Model 1951. there is one example presented. View Page 87.

The only difference from the US gaiters is the strap that runs under the sole. The US is sewn on the French pulled through an eyelet.
Such gaiters you see again and again to the end 54 worn. But on the original photos, it is hard to see if it was produced by US or French.


Whether the English gaiters were also used until the end I do not know. I have too little knowledge for that at the moment. I do not know any example photo that could serve as a reference.
Which means absolutely nothing.

But, I think, I would be rather surprised if the British gaiters was not also used until 1954.

[lew]

Jan 20, 2022 8:23:01 GMT -5 topbreak said:

Also, on a somewhat related note.  Were French troops who were issued British p/37 equipment also inflicted with that uniquely British punishment known as Blanco?

I have not seen or read any evidence of Blanco being used. Original British gear with French provenance that I've seen was not treated as such.

[topbreak]

Jan 25, 2022 9:16:20 GMT -5 lew said:

Jan 20, 2022 8:23:01 GMT -5 topbreak said:

Also, on a somewhat related note.  Were French troops who were issued British p/37 equipment also inflicted with that uniquely British punishment known as Blanco?

I have not seen or read any evidence of Blanco being used. Original British gear with French provenance that I've seen was not treated as such.

That's a relief.  Now that I don't have to throw myself into an exploration of Blanco, I can go back to pondering that controlled substance known as Vinogel.

[lew]

Jan 25, 2022 13:07:36 GMT -5 topbreak said:

....I can go back to pondering that controlled substance known as Vinogel.

The reduction part of the concoction is simple enough, but I keep reading about a gelling agent. Gelatin? My experience in that area of culinaria amounts to little, though.

[stalder]

Vinogel, an Interesting topic!

May at least to discuss. From a culinary point,  it was, according to reports, rather a disaster?


In one of my books it says;
The legionnaires didn't like the stuff, and they didn't feel like dealing with subtleties like the right amount of water.
So, sometimes the legionnaires eat this gel without mixing with water.

According to reports, it made very drunk!

Finally, the subject has to do with the contract of the legionnaires. Each legionnaire has besides the pay and food, accommodation also a daily certain amount of wine that he should receive.

There are various anecdotes that this was often not respected by the employer, in this case France.

Of course, this often gave rise to discussions.



(Not difficult to imagine, France as one of the great wine countries wanted to remedy the situation).

[earlymb]

I think the French army is the only army in the world that had (has?) jerrycans marked 'vin'...

[topbreak]

It's interesting to note that as often as the stuff is mentioned in the history of the Legion in Indochina, I have yet to find any photos of physical evidence of the the stuff. One would think that someone somewhere would have pictures of the tins, packaging, or whatever the stuff was shipped in. If the stuff was unique to Indochina, then I could understand the lack of surviving evidence, but there are reports of the stuff being inflicted upon French troops well into the '70s.

Interestingly, there is such a thing dehydrated wine. Apparently the stuff was marketed to hikers, campers, and perhaps preppers. Everything I've seen online suggests that it's a powdered or granulated product. 

Wikipedia Entry

It looks like the stuff has been restricted or banned in a number of locations, and it appears that nobody really misses it.

I would imagine that a reproduction of the stuff could be made by combining red wine concentrate, cheap brandy, and using pectin as the gelling agent.  I have no doubt that it would be genuinely awful, but a canteen cup of the stuff would make for an interesting rite of initiation for Indochina reenactors.

I'll apologize in advance.
 

[stalder]

These are good questions.


I'm always amazed how difficult it is to find accurate information about rations in Indochina.

Apparently the legionnaires also called the stuff "Tiger blood".

[topbreak]

Part of the problem is in the supply and nature of the information available. The majority of information on the French Indochina War is, predictably, in French. Of this information, much of it is now unfortunately out of print. What remains may not mention much about the more mundane aspects of the war, such as food and other creature comforts. There's also the niche aspect of the FIW. A determined internet search may bring up everything you may never have wanted to know about the most obscure brands of cigarettes smoked by the various major combatants in WWII. Run a similar search related to Indochina, and you might count yourself lucky to find something beyond Gauloises and Gitanes.

[stalder]

You are absolutely right

[lepayen]

Can anyone tell what type gaiters are being worn by the guys on the left? 

[topbreak]

US WW2 pattern, or French copies of the same.

[stalder]

As already written. It is hard to distinguish in photos. French gaiters are different from US gaiters only in one part.
To the photo, I personally, can only say that some wear and others do not wear gaiters

[lepayen]

Understood. They just look "short" compared to these guys. I guess they could be folded over more, concealing the tops.

[earlymb]

Or the gaiters are shortened, a common practice during WW2 too. I have a modified pair somewhere.

[Kenneth]

I understand that shortening gaiters was commonly done by Australian soldiers issued with US leggings, probably unofficially. In fact, the Australian Army continued to wear leggings or gaiters as late as the Vietnam War, but of a different pattern that had straps and buckles instead of lacing. Somewhere I have a list of uniform items Australians took with them to Vietnam, but I don't know where it is and, anyway, it's not relevant.

While French leggings or gaiters may have been of the same pattern as the American-made ones, I think the material will be different. French canvas items typically are of a courser canvas and usually of a distinctive shade of olive green. Of course, that's not invariably so and that isn't true of canvas clothing items.

I doubt that French troops, even those in the U.K. during the war, ever used Blanco. I recall reading a letter in an old issue of Soldier Magazine (the British Army magazine) from someone complaining about all the different shades that were in use. The Royal Marines used black shoe polish.