Puttees
WWI Puttees
There are several different kinds of puttees that the doughboy wore. Early, stateside photos show the doughboys wearing the model 1907 puttees which were made from canvas and featured a long canvas strap that wrapped around the calf. Early photos also shoe the doughboy wearing the model 1910 puttees which were also made of canvas but had a small number of grommets and one hook that fastened the canvas only at the bottom, the middle and the top. The model 1917 puttees resemble the leggings that were worn by the American GI in WWII. They also made of canvas and featured a flared bottom that fit over the top of the shoe, a series of about 8 grommets and hooks that were equally spaced along the height of the canvas that could be laced and a web strap that hooked under the boot at the instep. The last model that enlisted doughboys wore were the wool wraps that were inspired by the leg wraps of the European armies. These were introduced after the doughboy arrived in France and the Americans realized that the canvas puttees were not practical for trench wear.
Many early stateside photos of the Ebony Doughboys show them wearing different versions of the canvas puttees. There is also a panoramic photo of the 369th Infantry that was taken in France that show them wearing the model 1910 canvas puttees. These men are also wearing the French helmets and French accoutrements. This photo was most likely taken soon after these men arrived in France and immediately after being assigned the French and issued French gear. Later photos of the Ebony Doughboy in France show them wearing a mixture of the model 1910 puttees and the wool puttees, with the wool puttees being used the overwhelming majority of the time. For our impression in the trenches, we will wear the wool wrap puttees exclusively unless special scenarios dictate otherwise.
Officers were usually seen wearing leather leggings which were private purchase items and came in several styles. Photos also show NCOs wearing leather leggings in limited cases.
