Puttees in World War One

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  • Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
  • While they have been used throughout most of human history, under many different names, puttees are probably most iconic to the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. So, what were they used for? Were they practical? And how do you put them on without them unraveling around you? -
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    This video was made in support of The Native Oak. Learn more about our educational mission here:
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Комментарии • 636

  • @chrisbolland5634
    @chrisbolland5634 4 года назад +599

    Brandon's lost it now he's just stomping around in puddles.

  • @TheSparda81
    @TheSparda81 4 года назад +128

    Just to give a bit of perspective to his statement about these things being around throughout many different time periods, the Romans and the Vikings both liked using these. I don't know the roman name for them, but the vikings called them Winingas (pronounced with a V because it's germanic). I have a pair and they are supremely comfy and great for walking through any bramble or rough brush.

    • @Tareltonlives
      @Tareltonlives 4 года назад +10

      The Romans didn't have a specific name IIRC, so I think they'd just be called bands or fasciae.

    • @jack1701e
      @jack1701e 4 года назад +17

      Bit of an 'Aint broke don't fix it' sort of thing isn't it? Simple and effective.

    • @MrJinXiao
      @MrJinXiao 4 года назад +8

      reconstructions of Old Norse and its direct descendants overwhelmingly favor a pronunciation closer to [w] than [v]. The [v] pronunciation is a relatively recent change.

    • @HandleMyBallsYouTube
      @HandleMyBallsYouTube 4 года назад +2

      Damnit I went and wrote a comment about this, didn't realize someone was way ahead of me.

    • @LordComradeAnarchoCapitalus
      @LordComradeAnarchoCapitalus 3 года назад

      @@MrJinXiao [w] ftw

  • @ahhotep8
    @ahhotep8 3 года назад +8

    I went through several videos trying to find out what they are, to no avail. This answered my question and so much more, especially with the demonstration. Love your enthusiasm. Thank you! I will subscribe now!

  • @eldoradolou
    @eldoradolou 3 года назад +1

    Why does Brandon stomping about in the mud, remind me of an episode of Benny Hill?

  • @luna_macaroni
    @luna_macaroni 4 года назад

    The Czechoslovak army used them before WW2, my grandfather hated them, he was a borderguard. In 1937 he was promoted to an officer and never wore them again.

  • @YaNevrNo
    @YaNevrNo 4 года назад +1

    I always wondered what the leg wraps were that my great uncle wore, when he was in his WWI uniform.

  • @loupanella9632
    @loupanella9632 4 года назад

    I have always wondered how they where warped around the leg!

  • @thetimeywimeycornerofhisto4954
    @thetimeywimeycornerofhisto4954 4 года назад

    From 13:00 it's just an advert for puttees.

  • @TheSeanoops
    @TheSeanoops 4 года назад

    You see garments like that depicted in art being worn by medieval pedants and laborers.

  • @jaimiehardy5652
    @jaimiehardy5652 4 года назад

    Still wore short puttees in the 80's...1980's.

  • @JohnsonTheSecond
    @JohnsonTheSecond 4 года назад

    The Hun will be in Paris by the time we're ready in the morning, though!

  • @jfilm7466
    @jfilm7466 4 года назад

    That's how we used to do it.

  • @maximilienrobespierre7927
    @maximilienrobespierre7927 4 года назад

    Brits: wrap puttees
    Germans: *laughs in Marchierenstiefel*

  • @rebdomine1
    @rebdomine1 4 года назад +253

    My Great Grandpa wrote about losing his puttees on his first run under machine gun fire after disembarking at Gallipoli and I never knew what he was talking about till now. Thanks for the video.

    • @citadelchase8858
      @citadelchase8858 5 месяцев назад +2

      Well your grandpa should have stayed off Turkish soil ;) he is lucky he came back home to write about it.

    • @rebdomine1
      @rebdomine1 5 месяцев назад +2

      @@citadelchase8858 I agree. NZ's remembrance day, Anzac day, is a somber day, its no celebration. We look back on Gallipoli as a tragedy, something that shouldn't have happened, a waste of life. But something that built our national identity. The tagline is "Lest We Forget".

    • @Liam-bridge-456
      @Liam-bridge-456 4 месяца назад +1

      @@rebdomine1Lest we forget I’ve had many of my grandparents in war and in Gallipoli

  • @quickhistory8633
    @quickhistory8633 4 года назад +357

    Imagine walking through the woods and seeing Brandon in his ww1 uniform, stomping in a bunch of mud

    • @terraguardians1122
      @terraguardians1122 4 года назад +22

      Quick History PTSD time for some poor veteran

    • @andrewjohnston4127
      @andrewjohnston4127 4 года назад +19

      Yeah cos we still have ww1 veterans with ptsd 😂

    • @firestorm165
      @firestorm165 4 года назад +8

      Imagine seeing him in his full kit while tripping b***s

    • @dongarrett6228
      @dongarrett6228 4 года назад +3

      Time traveler

    • @heldhostageplshelp
      @heldhostageplshelp 4 года назад +1

      You've just crossed over into the twilight zone.

  • @Wolfof1918
    @Wolfof1918 4 года назад +329

    Interestingly enough, the reason for the German Army switching to puttees in the late stages of WWI was in fact due to leather shortages. Before the war Germany only produced puttees for their colonial troops and the normal soldiers would wear the "marschtiefel" (or jack boot)
    Both did about the same in terms of effectiveness, and both had their own advantages and disadvantages in trench warfare. All in all, the marschstiefel hurt Germany's war effort not because it was ineffective footwear, but because it wore down Germany's limited leather supply far faster than it would have been drained otherwise

    • @JohnsonTheSecond
      @JohnsonTheSecond 4 года назад +21

      Same story in WW2, when they switched to instead of issuing every soldier the jackboots and the lowboots - Very expensive - To just the low ankle boots, with gaiters. Mountain troops got puttees throughout the war I think.

    • @voiceofraisin3778
      @voiceofraisin3778 4 года назад +15

      @@JohnsonTheSecond Mountain troops werent really effected they started off with low boots and buttoned or laiced gaiters and just carried on. The mountain boots had adjustable laces and extra space for socks unlike the tight fitting marching boot so didnt need any changes.
      The British army had reviewed their uniforms in the early 30s and decided they would raid sporting good stores for equipment that had been tested in harsh weather already so adopted Nordic style skiing gear then adjusted it for mass production and military use.
      Basically it meant that British standard boots and German mountain boots came from the same mountain climbing/skiing parent and were virtually identical.
      The British uniform was basically so efficient for use and production that the Germans copied it and adopted it wholesale after 1943.
      The thing goes for webbing, the British had gone over to easily manufactured and adjusted fabric straps before WW2, the Germans stuck with leather straps which made for expensive production until later war they copied the British by using canvas in Afrika and other hot climates.

    • @2adamast
      @2adamast 4 года назад +4

      I think laced boots with covering were more effective although they don't offer that military shiny leather. Looking at what elite infantry, like storm or mountain troopers were wearing could be an indication of the field value of each.

    • @Wolfof1918
      @Wolfof1918 4 года назад +6

      @@2adamast The reason for mountain troops not using jackboots was due to said boots simply not being the best model for that enviroment.
      The reason storm troopers didn't use jack boots often (and I say often because there are plenty of pictures with storm troopers using jackboots) is because of leather shortages. By the time storm troopers were a definite separate military entity most of the German army was no longer using jack boots.
      Boots only lasted about 6-8 months in the trenches, which is why jack boots are completely gone from many pictures post mid-1917. They simply stopped getting produced

    • @voiceofraisin3778
      @voiceofraisin3778 4 года назад +3

      @Ornate Orator There was a problem of perspective and planning. First of all they intended to run short brief campaigns so they wouldn't suffer the long term attritional loss of equipment. It wasnt till 42 or 43 that they really started putting the economy on a war footing.
      The second problem they had was an early advantage, the collapse of Poland, France, Holland etc meant they had the agriculture of entire countries available to plunder which hid a lot of their deficiencies.
      Poland and Ukraine were virtually stripped to feed the army and keep German civilians in decent food supply.
      They can trade with Vichy France, Spain owes huge war debts and is supplying mineral resources and has farming.

  • @firstnamelastname-ql2vd
    @firstnamelastname-ql2vd 4 года назад +425

    Brandon could be an scp, imagine you're walking through the woods when all of the sudden Brandon comes out from behind a tree at quick March directly towards you "good sir, do you realize you are out of uniform?" He asks you. before you can respond he's behind you and has you in a choke hold, "coward, you won't get away from your duties to Britannia that easy" he tells you. All of the sudden you black out, after hearing some muffled voices and feeling the ground shake you awake after being stepped on. You're in a trench circa 1918 and the Germans are pushing forward in a spring offensive. If the Germans don't kill you, Brandon will, he's watching you... Always.

    • @PNWJEEPER01
      @PNWJEEPER01 4 года назад +61

      One might be led to surmise that you have a considerable amount of time on your hands.

    • @firstnamelastname-ql2vd
      @firstnamelastname-ql2vd 4 года назад +26

      @@PNWJEEPER01 possibly

    • @PNWJEEPER01
      @PNWJEEPER01 4 года назад +15

      @@firstnamelastname-ql2vd No offense meant, of course; just.....sayin.

    • @firstnamelastname-ql2vd
      @firstnamelastname-ql2vd 4 года назад +14

      @@PNWJEEPER01 no need to apologize sir

    • @jondaniels4325
      @jondaniels4325 4 года назад +21

      That would actually be a cool scp

  • @TYCOIX
    @TYCOIX 4 года назад +114

    RUclips's algorithm somehow leads me to you. And now I'm subbed, seeing your enthusiasm about this was contagious

    • @BrandonF
      @BrandonF  4 года назад +35

      Well I'm glad it did! Welcome!

    • @eldorados_lost_searcher
      @eldorados_lost_searcher 4 года назад +10

      Welcome, friend. Check out his other videos. Often pedantic, but never uninteresting.

  • @goose6.070
    @goose6.070 4 года назад +124

    "you don't want to go above the knee otherwise you will be walking around like a robot everywhere you go" meanwhile in Germany....

  • @JRico-xm8qw
    @JRico-xm8qw 4 года назад +57

    Girlfriend: "Why don't you ever want to take me hiking with you?"
    Thinking about me and the bois wrapping puttees and sloshing in puddles in full militaria: "Maybe next time."

    • @IonIsFalling7217
      @IonIsFalling7217 3 года назад +4

      Some women have enough taste to enjoy such a thing far better 😉

    • @olgagaming5544
      @olgagaming5544 2 года назад +3

      Takie her with you xd

  • @chrisbolland5634
    @chrisbolland5634 4 года назад +160

    I'm gonna try these out on my next backpacking trip

    • @BrandonF
      @BrandonF  4 года назад +62

      Send me a note on FB if you're looking for a place to buy- I can recommend a gentleman from England who makes very good quality puttees.

    • @GeneralLiuofBoston1911
      @GeneralLiuofBoston1911 4 года назад +11

      I am gonna try them out too once I saved enough to get a reenactment uniform for the National Revolutionary Army (Chinese military from 1928 to 1945). They wore puttees and the Zhongshan suit uniform during that period.

    • @chrisbolland5634
      @chrisbolland5634 4 года назад +12

      @@BrandonF I think I will! I was just gonna use acewrap bandages but the real thing would help a ton more. I'm a tick magnet so something to keep them out of my trousers would be of great help.

    • @chrisbolland5634
      @chrisbolland5634 4 года назад +6

      @James Harding His name is Mike Everest, but I won't share the link if brandon doesn't think we should.

    • @sirfintanelmrisofcoanwood5245
      @sirfintanelmrisofcoanwood5245 4 года назад +5

      I've worn them multiple times on such-like trips, and I daresay you won't be disappointed!

  • @MrBigCookieCrumble
    @MrBigCookieCrumble 4 года назад +39

    I'm starting to feel like this was all an elaborate excuse to get to go and play in the mud.
    "No, mom, it's for a _video_ this time, it's my _job_ as a youtuber, i'm a grown man you cant tell me what to do anymore!"

  • @AtunSheiFilms
    @AtunSheiFilms 4 года назад +36

    15:15 Ah the joys of spring in New England

  • @owenbever4689
    @owenbever4689 4 года назад +172

    I'm just imagining one of Brandon's neighbors or just some random guy seeing him walking through puddles and small creeks in full ww1 gear.
    Yeah, I can see them just stopping and staring at him. You, sir, must be the talk if the neighborhood.

    • @harrygrant4122
      @harrygrant4122 4 года назад +20

      You think that's bad? I'm in full ww2 uniform walking up and down in my front garden to calibrate VE day.
      Rifle and all.

    • @Here4Years
      @Here4Years 4 года назад +31

      I dare say, they're probably used to it by now.
      "Who's the guy in the British uniform?" asks a visitor.
      Neighbour chuckles and replies, "That's just our Brandon. You should see him in his Red Army uniform."

    • @Runenschuppe
      @Runenschuppe 4 года назад +17

      You aren't a proper re-enactor if you have not had called the police on you.

    • @Orangestardust
      @Orangestardust 4 года назад +5

      Don't let the men in white suits take you.

    • @rileyernst9086
      @rileyernst9086 2 года назад +2

      That's just our Brandon, you should see him on independence day.
      GOD SAVE THE KING

  • @LegendaryKazooMann1936
    @LegendaryKazooMann1936 4 года назад +28

    Why do I find these so strangely fashionable?
    The functionality, the style, damn!

    • @jaojao1768
      @jaojao1768 4 года назад +2

      Yes, I quite like them too. Then again I am a fan of breeches and high socks as well

  • @erickpeasley5939
    @erickpeasley5939 4 года назад +117

    Brandon F, ceo of proper speaking, and leader of all history nerds. We salute to our captain 👏👏

  • @duncanp1987
    @duncanp1987 4 года назад +83

    Last time I was this early the B.E.F. stopped the Germans at the Marne

  • @sirrliv
    @sirrliv 4 года назад +89

    Quick note: In certain cases, regiments could even be known for their distinctive puttees. The Royal Newfoundland Regiment earned their famous nickname, the "Blue Puttees" for the distinctive coloring of this garment.

    • @steyn1775
      @steyn1775 4 года назад +4

      @@nedsteven4622 not so blue anymore XD

    • @ryangoepfert9112
      @ryangoepfert9112 4 года назад +8

      @@nedsteven4622 a level of sad ironic humor to be found in that

    • @AlbertBasedman
      @AlbertBasedman 4 года назад +1

      steyn17 good thing, or the fritz would have spotted it and amputated his leg for him

    • @befford709
      @befford709 4 года назад +3

      In 1914, The blue puttees used initially by the Newfoundland regiment were from QM stores of a boy’s organization called the Church Lads’ Brigade as appropriate coloured material for puttees was not available in the old colony. Legend has it when the regiment arrived at Salisbury for training, the blue puttees were promptly removed and burned.

    • @wyvernquill2796
      @wyvernquill2796 4 года назад +1

      @@befford709 Church Lads sounds like one of the Pre Boy Scouts groups inspired by Baden Powel's 1899 military manual "Aids to Scouting" or the 1908 reversion "Scouting for Boys" A lot of Town counsels, Bussiness, Churches and other organizations used it to form their boys clubs they sponsored and later they were mostly united into Boy Scouts, but not every local group joined the national scout orgs

  • @damjan4435
    @damjan4435 4 года назад +34

    3:19 draw me like one of your russian girls

  • @hart-of-gold
    @hart-of-gold 4 года назад +79

    I reckon spare puttees were used as bandages and field dressings, tied into slings and splints, used to wrap up odds and ends, secure items to pack animals and the many other uses for a length of strong fabric. They are something with a practical use but they can be used to fix and improvise solutions to many problems marching armies could face.
    Gaiters are much more a single purpose item in that if you use them for something other then wearing them, you will likely break them.
    Long Boots were likely better for walking through melting snow and slush where puttees likely soak through and leak quickly.

    • @hart-of-gold
      @hart-of-gold 4 года назад +7

      @James Harding Not much snow where I live in Australia. I was thinking about keeping dry feet because having worked in gumboots and short (waterproof) boots with thick socks and elastic gaiters I don't think puttees would stay dry.

    • @firestorm165
      @firestorm165 4 года назад +7

      @@hart-of-gold if they're proper wool you'd be surprised actually. I actually was part of a recreation of an amphibious assault and despite jumping into thigh deep water the putties actually kept the water out of my boots for a full three seconds

    • @aenorist2431
      @aenorist2431 4 года назад +6

      @@firestorm165 Proper wool with lanolin (wool fat) applied can keep dry very well (if not agressivly submerged) and dries out very readily.
      I have a heavy wool cloak that (beside getting a bit heavier and longer) keept me dry through an 4 hour watch in conditions between drizzle and splashing rain.
      At times I had to hold out my hand to realize it actually still rained, because the stuff is that waterproof.

    • @firestorm165
      @firestorm165 4 года назад +3

      @@aenorist2431 I have very little trouble believing that. Real shame that woolen cloaks fell out of fashion

    • @Its_shiki_time4876
      @Its_shiki_time4876 4 года назад +5

      @@firestorm165 I use Puttees on my bike when I have to ride in the rain since I have no gators. And after a few minutes of getting soaked at least they kept me warm. They also dry very fast.

  • @Aleksandar_the_Great94
    @Aleksandar_the_Great94 4 года назад +97

    “Puddees” lol I can’t take these seriously

    • @BrandonF
      @BrandonF  4 года назад +95

      Not a very militant name, to be sure. It's taken from an Indian (Hindi, maybe?) word for the leg wraps.

    • @Aleksandar_the_Great94
      @Aleksandar_the_Great94 4 года назад +10

      Brandon F. Interesting

    • @lenaoxton3999
      @lenaoxton3999 4 года назад +47

      @@BrandonF from the Hindi "Paṭṭī", meaning bandage, or long strip of cloth. Indeed, the British Indian Army saw the usefulness and comfort in their ability to keep legs dry and compressed, which spread to the greater British infantries and cavalry units, and other nations soon followed. They're very inexpensive, and they're splendid for long hikes in the wilderness!

    • @aenorist2431
      @aenorist2431 4 года назад +6

      @@lenaoxton3999 Which is kinda funny to me, considering how frequent very similar garments are in earlier european history, that they still had to rediscover the idea all the way in India.

    • @NSYresearch
      @NSYresearch 4 года назад +3

      Puttees... puttees ...
      Brandons accent does change things a little.

  • @mashbury
    @mashbury 4 года назад +34

    I’ve worn my original Fox,s puttees for over 30 years and never failed me in UK ,France and Belgium and more .. noticed your second puttee was facing the wrong way ( V end should technically be on the outside and to the rear) but unless you use them every day then they can be a bugger to get right first time every time .. 30 years of use and they go on lovely every time

  • @alexandersmall7380
    @alexandersmall7380 4 года назад +19

    “We shall be protected, I hope”
    That simple quote has been uttered by anyone who has ever worn anything. Maybe with the exemption of masochists.

  • @ChristheRedcoat
    @ChristheRedcoat 4 года назад +32

    A timely upload, considering I just got my puttees the other day. Great work, as always!

  • @thebelfastvikingmartinbrow3603
    @thebelfastvikingmartinbrow3603 4 года назад +38

    I used them for around 3 years from 1981 to 84 in the army cadets. When I was 13 to 16 in the Irish Guards cadets. And as a part time Viking I still use something similar

  • @CarltonWhitfield
    @CarltonWhitfield 4 года назад +39

    I enjoyed this, I had heard about the Royal Newfoundlanders being called "Blue Puttees" but I never had a great visual of what a puttee was.

    • @Sltarfish
      @Sltarfish 4 года назад +1

      That came from the 30s I believe, when they were due for an inspection by the King but had none of the new ankle wrappings, so had to make do with blue cloth they had spare. The King commented that he rather liked the blue so they kept it until ankle wrappings were phased out.

    • @CarltonWhitfield
      @CarltonWhitfield 4 года назад +2

      It was definitely a nick name they had during WW1, they had it at Beaumont-Hanel.

    • @NSYresearch
      @NSYresearch 4 года назад +1

      Our local Yeomanry regiment(territorial/national guard) continued to wear blue puttees right up to WW1

  • @ragandoil
    @ragandoil 4 года назад +7

    The short puttee were still worn into the 1970 , i wore them as a member of the British army as as a SSgt in Germany as part of NATO, (Northag) Northern army group

  • @vaclav_fejt
    @vaclav_fejt 4 года назад +18

    "Puttees are good!"
    - Lindybeige

  • @kaiserofgermania5236
    @kaiserofgermania5236 4 года назад +98

    I always imagine Brandon being a soldier from the past who used a time machine to go to our time😂

    • @AbrahamLincoln4
      @AbrahamLincoln4 4 года назад +11

      An independent historian.

    • @kolinmartz
      @kolinmartz 4 года назад +2

      Idk man. He isn’t really what comes to mind when one thinks of a soldier from the past.

    • @terminator572
      @terminator572 4 года назад +2

      He possessed the soul of a bright eyed boy who went to the site of the battle of Waterloo and hasn't been the same ever since.

    • @cinjonsmythe6318
      @cinjonsmythe6318 4 года назад +1

      @@terminator572 A reborn soul who was in the Colonial Wars and it left its imprint on him. Or, just a gentle enthusiast but I think both have equal chances of being true

  • @l.dailyda6044
    @l.dailyda6044 4 года назад +24

    I feel like this video was an excuse to play in the mud.

  • @daveturner6006
    @daveturner6006 4 года назад +30

    Those boots are disgusting get 'em cleaned I want to see my face in them when you've finished! The British army went from long putees to webbing gaiters when the '38 Webbing system was issued. Then sometime after WWII they adopted short putees (that only went around the ankles) when I joined the army (1974) I was at first issued gaiters, then a couple of months later issued putees. Having worn both I have to say that gaiters were easier to put on. From a practical point of view I can't say I noticed any difference in effectiveness. However, as I was in an armoured regiment we only wore putees for guard duty. When we went to Northern Ireland we all bought Doc Martins boots that went up higher than our normal issue DMS boots and were also lighter and easier to run in.
    Were putees practical? Meh.... Did they come unraveled? Sometimes but usually only only if you'd screwed up putting them on. Finally, you could wrap a putee around the barrel of your rifle to break up the outline of the straight and rather obvious rifle barrel and help stop it sticking out like a sore thumb from a hedge!

    • @eldorados_lost_searcher
      @eldorados_lost_searcher 4 года назад +4

      Interesting assessment. So puttees had a wider range of possible applications, but were more of a hassle to put on?

    • @daveturner6006
      @daveturner6006 4 года назад +2

      @@eldorados_lost_searcher Indeed, but as a tank regiment we didn't wear the things much, only for guards and such. I seem to remember that our infantry support used to wear the things so they must have found them effective.

    • @derpimusmaximus8815
      @derpimusmaximus8815 4 года назад +2

      So, what's your opinion on DMS vs boots, cardboard horrible? ;)

    • @daveturner6006
      @daveturner6006 4 года назад +4

      @@derpimusmaximus8815 DMS boots were generally good. They had their problems, they were a bit too heavy for things like NI and could get waterlogged...they were pretty useless in the Falklands (or so I'm told). If you wore them with good wool socks they were good for purpose. DMs, well mine lasted the four months of my NI tour of duty and basically disintegrated shortly afterwards. On the plus side they were mostly waterproof, light and comfortable, I never got blisters from wearing them. A couple of years later I found some much better boots Sergeant Peppers. They came in black (which DMs didn't at that time) were waterproof and much sturdier than DMs, the pair I had lasted a couple of years and I wore them quite a lot. Unfortunately I never saw any again after the initial pair I bought.
      Back in the mid-70s unless you bought expensive civilian hiking boots you were always going to have problems with your boots.

    • @daveturner6006
      @daveturner6006 4 года назад +2

      @Paul Smith Indeed, but its what the Royal Marines used in the Falklands!

  • @Unertl28
    @Unertl28 4 года назад +17

    "Here we find Brandon in his natural habitat."

    • @danieljhalab6775
      @danieljhalab6775 3 года назад +3

      why did i hear this in a british accent and a deep voice

  • @Eric_Hutton.1980
    @Eric_Hutton.1980 4 года назад +15

    You're supposed to be in Flanders, so I'm making the appropriate artillery and machine gun sounds in my head.

  • @truckerallikatuk
    @truckerallikatuk 4 года назад +14

    A lot of it is simple friction. It's not a smooth fabric and with that tension it'll grip pretty well. And also, if it's nicely prepared wool, it'll be somewhat waterproof. Perhaps those puttees need a dose of lanolin?

  • @TwoMikesProductions
    @TwoMikesProductions 4 года назад +5

    I would have thought Brandon after you watched my video and bought my puttees, you would have gotten them on correctly rather than both going the same direction around your leg which is incorrect.

    • @BrandonF
      @BrandonF  4 года назад +1

      Yeah, a silly mistake on my part. I didn't realise it until after I was tying them off at the top!

  • @polarjet1833
    @polarjet1833 4 года назад +15

    Imagine having to wrap up your legs in cloth.
    -this post was made by the gaiters gang

    • @IslandThunder84
      @IslandThunder84 4 года назад +1

      imagine wearing shoes into combat
      - Airborne jump boot gang

    • @polarjet1833
      @polarjet1833 4 года назад

      Screw you jump boot gang

  • @ronashapouri403
    @ronashapouri403 4 года назад +42

    BRANDON GET OFF THE FLOOR YOULL GET SICK

  • @MrDoctorCrow
    @MrDoctorCrow 4 года назад +11

    >Stomps in mud
    >"what am I doing"
    Yeah, I miss my events too

  • @williamrooth
    @williamrooth 4 года назад +7

    Well done, sir! They did a lot to help, but "trench foot" was almost as debilitating as were "social diseases" during the Great War as I recall. Do you concur?

  • @darth-hellhound6534
    @darth-hellhound6534 4 года назад +4

    If you have difficulty with your puttees "stepping" and leaving gaps between the layers, give the roll a 180-degree twist and continue rolling just after you pass the calf. For people with thicker calves than our dear Brandon here, it will keep the layers held tightly together.
    I have to twist/rotate mine at least twice when I get to the calf to prevent stepping. Hope this helps someone.

  • @howedaddy6122
    @howedaddy6122 4 года назад +61

    Fun Fact: Cornflakes were originally invented to prevent masterbation.

    • @AbrahamLincoln4
      @AbrahamLincoln4 4 года назад +9

      The more you know.

    • @Arbiter099
      @Arbiter099 4 года назад +28

      It is scientifically proven to be difficult to pleasure one's self physically and eat a bowl of cornflakes at the same time.

    • @IanK3b
      @IanK3b 4 года назад +11

      @@Arbiter099 I not only have personal experience with this, but I have studied the graphs and reports many a time as well.

    • @Arbiter099
      @Arbiter099 4 года назад +8

      @@IanK3b you brave being making such sacrifices in the name of breakfast chastity science!

    • @bootdude7527
      @bootdude7527 4 года назад +1

      You spelt it wrong

  • @ArturoLopez-ly2pn
    @ArturoLopez-ly2pn 4 года назад +4

    I feel like I'm watching a young LindyBeige
    Great video!

  • @ROTTERDXM
    @ROTTERDXM 4 года назад +2

    I always thought it was the pants that made for that look, turns out it's the puttees. Now I know. And now I need some.

  • @juancholo7502
    @juancholo7502 4 года назад +5

    I remember stopping by a Michael's Fabric store after a "Viking" re-enactment with a friend. We were still in our "viking" garb. We were either completely "invisible" ie people wouldn't look at us, or people stared right at us. We then went to a Chinese buffet where a little kid asked his mother if we were from Narnia. (^_^)

  • @HaakonTheViking
    @HaakonTheViking 4 года назад +5

    So my first introduction to puttees was as I was working at a viking museum. We would dress up in period clothing as part of the museum "live action" way of teaching history. In the viking (and most of european iron age and early middle age) puttee-type leggings was common. I'm a hunter, and these seemed like a good ide of protecting the lower legs from snagging on branches, as well as keeping moisture, snow and dirt away from my pants and boots. A problem I had encountered the year before was snow being kicked up from my boots to my trousers, that then got wet, and the cotton trousers would suck up the water and I quickly became soaked. I like wool as it keeps you warm even if it becomes wet, and wool won't really become propperly wet, more like moist, and it woun't suck up the water like other fabrics. Beside normal gaiters are a lot more noisy than putees, and moving silenrtly is essential to a hunter. I have sevral repro puttees now, viking period ones, ww1 period ones, some japanese ones, and even a pair of gennuine Fox-Wellington officers puttees from 1909. I have worn puttees while hunting, hiking, and during winter when I lived in northern Norway. here is what I learned about them.
    Finding the correct way to make them snug to your legs without creating "stepping" or making gaps are essential, I have to make two folds after about 2 rounds.
    They are not water proof, but won't really soak either. They are excelent in everything from dry to somewhat wet conditions, but when it get's really wet they are no good. I immagine one of the reasons armies stopped using them was because they were used in the trenches, in conditions way beyond what they were originally intended for.
    They work really well in snow! The snow will collect on the outside, but unlike with cotton, the wool won't let out heat from your legs to melt the snow, and if the snow does melt, they won't suck up the snow. They also makes it weasier to move in deep snow, as they make your legs "skinnier" compared to loose pants.
    They are really good at keeping things from getting inside your boots, or up your pants.
    They reduce the noice you make by moving through the forest a LOT!
    They proved compression to your legs. This stimmulates circulation (as long as they are not too tight), and reduces fatigue and soreness after a long day of hiking.
    If you wear them for a long time, your leg will itch when you take them off. If you have ever worn slalom-boots for any extended period of time, you know the feeling.
    And my final observation: They look really neat!

  • @steyn1775
    @steyn1775 4 года назад +5

    14:19 "what am I doing?"
    releasing your inner child wanting to jump and stamp on water and mud of course!

  • @NicklasZandeVGCP2001
    @NicklasZandeVGCP2001 4 года назад +11

    When I saw the title, I thought this was gonna be about the Putty Patrollers from Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers fighting in WW1.

    • @leelovellette8133
      @leelovellette8133 3 года назад

      Funny you mentioned that, I was just sitting here thinking, I wonder if the grey guys from power rangers had anything to do with these.

  • @peterbrown1012
    @peterbrown1012 4 года назад +2

    I joined the British army in 1971 and we were issued putties to wear with our combat dress, we didn't wind it up the leg, just over the top of the boot.

  • @TopHatPenguin
    @TopHatPenguin 4 года назад +3

    I'm a civil war reenactor and it's amazing how my uniform is basically just a different color. 60 years of advancements but the uniforms basically stayed the same even the shoes are basically the same (besides the coat and hat of course)

  • @daveturner6006
    @daveturner6006 4 года назад +3

    I just noticed that you've put your putees on the wrong way! the 'V' shaped piece at the top of the putee where the tape is attached should always be on the outside of the leg pointing to the rear...I'd get that fixed before the sergeant-major notices you slovenly little soldier!!!

  • @FalconKPD
    @FalconKPD 4 года назад +8

    The french method of wrapping is black magic

    • @TheMaster4534
      @TheMaster4534 4 года назад +2

      Even the Japanese wrapping method is a buff.

  • @JamesLewis98
    @JamesLewis98 4 года назад +3

    15:29 Wearing a British uniform, yet listening to Der Königgrätzer Marsch.

  • @Gordons1888
    @Gordons1888 4 года назад +5

    It's rather comical watching a WW1 soldier playing in muddy puddles, love it

  • @craigslistrro709
    @craigslistrro709 4 года назад +4

    Brandon is thoroughly beating this topic of puttees from every single angle imaginable..As if he prepaid to use 18 minutes, and wants his moneys worth.

  • @nickbot3520
    @nickbot3520 4 года назад +3

    Floor gang

  • @elaynas4125
    @elaynas4125 3 года назад +2

    I've seen somthing like these with middle ages reacting (usaly Viking reacting) but they go over the pants and in the shoe or boot rather than over pants and boots. They were used for the same sort of thing. It's cool how things last in history with a bit of modification for so long.

  • @alexandersarchives9615
    @alexandersarchives9615 4 года назад +4

    I always wondered what those were called. Thanks man!

  • @williamjones7718
    @williamjones7718 4 года назад +2

    Thanks for this. I've always been a big WWI buff, and all my life wondered how those things were put on.

  • @daniel-paulroberts1225
    @daniel-paulroberts1225 4 года назад +3

    I usually wear puttees going through thick and sharp Arizona brush, they perform well. My advice is to make sure they are extremely tight over the boot, to try and avoid unraveling. If one has muscular calves, one should be sure to wrap over any parts that stick out(that are loose). It is difficult to do at first, but once mastered, is very helpful.

  • @WolfStrife
    @WolfStrife 4 года назад +4

    I'll stick with my DAK M40 boots. But I always did have a soft spot for puttees:)

  • @spingebill8551
    @spingebill8551 4 года назад +2

    The Newfoundland regiment are so famous for wearing them, they were called the Blue Puttees!

  • @grandadmiralzaarin4962
    @grandadmiralzaarin4962 4 года назад +6

    With it being tight that seems somewhat detrimental in cold climates.

    • @michealohaodha9351
      @michealohaodha9351 4 года назад +3

      Tight yes but not overly tight. Its a fine line

    • @ryangoepfert9112
      @ryangoepfert9112 4 года назад

      The cloth itself probably helps keep warm

    • @firestorm165
      @firestorm165 4 года назад +1

      Debatable, it is essentially an extra layer of wool after all

    • @justinmiletich1975
      @justinmiletich1975 3 года назад

      Wool dosnt get cold when wet keeps heat

  • @landenmorton4543
    @landenmorton4543 4 года назад +1

    Brandon stomping around in puddles is oddly cute, tho I'm sure that's not what he was going for lol

  • @ShakespeareInTheAlley
    @ShakespeareInTheAlley 4 года назад +4

    Awesome, I can be a mummy now!

  • @jameslawson3876
    @jameslawson3876 3 года назад +1

    As fun as this experiment is, its conclusions are incorrect. Puttees proved to be a nightmare in the wet trenches of WWI. The water soaked the wool all the way through, causing it to tighten and constrict bloodflow. In many photos you will see men have tied hessian sandbags or remains of calico bags around their legs after puttees had failed them. They were a major contributor to trenchfoot. It is no accident that they were replaced by canvas gaiters by WW2 and higher leg leather boots (as least in the US) by the end of WW2. Whilst I am sure that they were grand in the drier parts of the world, in wet trenches they were a disaster. Also, in the Australian Army at least, they did not wear full length trousers in WWI. Instead they were a culotte type trouser which laced up below the knee (tapering to near the calf), so you needed something long like puttees to 'bridge the gap' and reduce the amount of discomfort full length trousers would create under puttees.

  • @enraikow6109
    @enraikow6109 2 года назад +1

    The thumbnail, the fonts, the images, and your presentation in general gives off the same vibes as lindybeige (both great)

  • @Shadooe
    @Shadooe 4 года назад +2

    When the first 500 of the Newfoundland Regiment sailed for France in 1914 they wore navy blue puttees. Some say it was due to a lack of khaki material, some say it was trying to create a distinct uniform, but from then on, the First 500 were known as "The Blue Puttees."

  • @baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714
    @baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714 4 года назад +1

    Before socks wraping your legs before putting on shoos would have been normal, hence deciding to wrap arround your legs a phicker one on top for protection would have been obvious for people at the time.

  • @BodyGuardOfLies1
    @BodyGuardOfLies1 4 года назад +1

    Had to wear putees in the army cadets many many years ago they were terrible. Ours had a khaki ribbon attached at the end and we only wore them around the ankle not up the calf.
    The worst thing was if they came undone during drill and the guy behind you stood on it you were going over. Most of us bought gaiters from a local surplus store which fastened with a couple of buckles.

  • @rich6653
    @rich6653 4 года назад +1

    Alright, i know this is a hyper detailed observation but it might interest you as a experimental historian. What is the furthest distance you`ve walked this way? Try wakling 20-30km (18 miles ish) in these the way you did the first go around/fold , you`ll find that all that folded fabric that isn`t perfectly flush with your leg will drive you insane, cause blisters, open wounds in the worst case. depends on how long you need to walk. love your videos. cheers

  • @dustoff1601
    @dustoff1601 4 года назад +1

    We still had them and wore them in the British army in 1969 and in northern Irland in the 1970 , but only around the boot and ankle trousers went over the top with elastics .

  • @baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714
    @baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714 4 года назад +1

    Also on the eastern front the red army did use auti. Its just that they did it on the inside of rubber boots because they did not wear socks.

  • @carterc4307
    @carterc4307 Год назад +1

    Where do you recommend getting WWI putties from? I am trying to put together a German kit

  • @benjaminstevens4468
    @benjaminstevens4468 2 года назад +1

    I always thought these were awesome, didn’t know what they were called until today

  • @bcluett1697
    @bcluett1697 4 года назад +2

    That's the first time I've seen someone actually demonstrate the before and after use in water/mud. Thank you that was excellent.

  • @allenatkins2263
    @allenatkins2263 4 года назад +1

    I were mine when I play miniature golf. I call them my putt putt puttees.

  • @RJLbwb
    @RJLbwb 4 года назад +2

    Brandon goes for is walk in his re-enactment outfit? lol

  • @jabscha7051
    @jabscha7051 4 года назад +2

    2:20 I thought you were going to start talking about how the ancient Hebrews used these when you starting saying "every Passover"

  • @tonyjames5444
    @tonyjames5444 4 года назад +1

    I joined the Royal Marines in 1979 and we had to wear these until 83 along with DMS boots which were made in part with compressed cardboard, you only had to walk through wet crass and you'd get wet feet!

  • @jonathannagel7427
    @jonathannagel7427 4 года назад +1

    I got mine a long time ago, I think on Tatooine.
    As a fan of military history & uniforms (seen in Asia, not just Europe), costumes, and the outdoors, thanks for for answering a question I’ve had for 25 years (what they’re called)!

    • @jonathannagel7427
      @jonathannagel7427 4 года назад +1

      PS - subbed, keep it/them up! How this was recommended to me today we will never know...

  • @elbolainas4174
    @elbolainas4174 3 года назад +1

    For some reason this is my favourite part of the British uniform

  • @eskimoflo
    @eskimoflo Год назад +1

    My Dad, a pre WW2 and WW2 vet pronounced them not "putties" but put-TEES. The slang he also called them was "rap leggin's"

    • @BrandonF
      @BrandonF  Год назад

      I believe it's originally a Hindi word, so that pronunciation is probably more accurate

  • @sanuku535
    @sanuku535 4 года назад +1

    I AM thinking of a camping.
    I will think of this one.

  • @mmcintire65
    @mmcintire65 3 года назад +1

    Hilarious Brandon! Just when we thought we knew everything about military drag, you model your 'puttees' for us. How fetching.

  • @tegandavis3293
    @tegandavis3293 4 года назад +1

    Gebirgsjägers in the Second World War frequently used puttees as well however they generally only wrapped it up to the level a gaiter would come up to (presumably so their ability to climb wasn't completely impeded)

  • @Reilly-Maresca
    @Reilly-Maresca 4 года назад +1

    Old methods, modern innovations:
    For extra protection, wrap your puttees, once tied, in a layer of Flex Tape for maximum protection.

  • @piatpotatopeon8305
    @piatpotatopeon8305 4 года назад +1

    I'm like puttees in your hands when you cover topics like ankle support.

  • @ahtikai
    @ahtikai 4 года назад +1

    as a pre 1000's reenactor, I associate puttées the most with pre-christian North Europe. We just call them shin-wraps though

  • @kentwood9821
    @kentwood9821 3 года назад +1

    They also keep pants from sticking to your knees and hindering movement when drenched with rain or sweat. Pretty critical when you were stuck in a trench or just outdoors and living in the same clothes for days/weeks at a time, crouching, squatting, getting up and down off the ground a lot and so on. Unlike high boots, wool wraps shed water and will dry over time.