What Was Hygiene Like For US Soldiers In WWII?

when we think about u.s soldiers in world war ii we think about d-day storming the beaches at normandy world war ii also saw innovations that included everything from chemicals to prevent infestation footwear designed to keep feet dry and clean and strict regulations about water latrines and food some of these efforts were more successful than others and of course mud bugs disease and filth were still problematic so today we're going to take a look at what hygiene was like for us soldiers in world war ii but before we get started be sure to subscribe to the weird history channel and let us know in the comments below what other hygiene related topics you would like to hear about okay let's see how stinky the second world war really was wartime conditions invariably attract insects and those insects spread disease to counteract that spread the national institute of health in the united states and its global counterparts took steps to prevent potential epidemics during the late 1930s swiss scientists at the geiger company developed an insecticide called dicorodiphenyl trichloroethane which is better known as ddt the chemist who came up with the concoction paul muller even won a nobel prize for medicine and physiology in 1948 for his efforts edt was soon sent to the united states where an epidemiologist named dr fred sober became one of its biggest proponents even persuading the egyptian government to use it to fight a malaria outbreak in 1943 and 1944 with additional support from the rockefeller foundation and other allied countries ddt was being dropped directly on millions of civilians and servicemen alike in the mediterranean and southeast asia by 1944. the thing about ddt was that it was easy to manufacture affordable and effective the colorless nearly odorless chemical wiped out lice mosquitoes mites and other bugs exponentially decreasing the spread of diseases such as malaria and typhus the immediate success of ddt saved millions of lives and was touted as a solution to typhus the dreaded plague that had followed in the wake of every great war in history ddt success on the field resulted in widespread demand for the product which became available to the public during the late 1940s everyone from governments to farmers to backyard gardeners used ddt in abundance spraying it in the direction of people plants and animals while the public was warned of its potential to upset the balance of nature the long-term consequences of ddt remained unknown [Music] in the years after the first world war the united states government established permanent laundries and dry cleaning facilities at many of its bases around the country and once world war ii broke out laundry services were extended overseas at camp lee in virginia troops were trained to use mobile laundry machines over 12 weeks after completing the training laundry units made up of three officers and 85 enlisted men were dispatched from 1940 forward mobile laundries resembling semi-trucks contained as many as six units and could wash roughly 125 pounds of clothes each hour officers enlisted men and some civilians could pay to have their clothes washed although the former received preferential treatment men paid 50 cents per bundle as legislation to have laundry service free of charge failed to come to fruition that's right they charged their own soldiers to wash their clothes servicemen also had access to public shower facilities much like laundries showers were intended to keep them clean in the interest of combating lice and other infestations while simultaneously boosting morale shower facilities could have between 8 and 24 shower heads with additional fumigation areas available venereal disease was widespread during world war ii and many veterans brought syphilis and gonorrhea home with them as a result u.s officials made concerted efforts to help servicemen make sound decisions to conduct medical tests and to keep detailed records of venereal disease outbreaks the more active approach called the eight point agreement helped make solicitation in the proximity of bases a federal offense established rapid treatment centers for venereal disease and fostered strategies for treating disease while allowing men to stay on active duty servicemen also gained access to penicillin a relatively new drug purported to have vast success against venereal diseases alongside standard arsenic and sulfur treatments the united states war department for their part started distributing pamphlets with much more explicit information than had ever been extended to men in service men were instructed on how to clean themselves informed about prophylaxis options and told to seek treatment immediately should symptoms of a venereal disease arise the soldiers were also told that at the end of the day the best way to avoid venereal disease was just to stay away from women hard to argue with that logic trench foot is a serious condition that results from a person's feet being wet for long periods of time and because it had been such a big problem during world war one the military wanted to give men a way to keep their feet dry and warm women in britain were encouraged to make socks for servicemen while textile factories shifted production to accommodate the need in the united states the shoe pack system was implemented in 1944 giving men a waterproof lined boot the shoe pack included rubber and leather layers with felt on the inside of the shoe to maintain warmth shoe packs were made by l.l bean a variation of its main hunting shoe there weren't always enough shoe packs to go around and sometimes the sizes didn't match the need but they proved effective as long as men wore wool socks and changed them regularly the lack of ventilation in the shoe pack necessitated the frequent changing of socks lest the owners develop macerated feet or shoe pack foot with the skin on the bottoms of their feet resembling wet blotting paper the military also established shoe repair teams giving servicemen an opportunity to have quality fixes on their footwear whereas during world war one the men had to rely on local contractors who often provided sub-quality work with inadequate materials [Music] keeping men clean tidy and presentable according to the regulations of the war department in 1942 meant teeth had to be brushed at least once a day necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis also known as trench mouth was a common affliction during world war one and it remained common in world war ii caused by stress a lack of dental care and malnutrition trench mouth resulted in bleeding pain and gum decay there were numerous efforts to try to combat trench mouth tooth powder became a regular feature in hygiene kits and the men were continually ordered to brush their teeth every day a practice many continued after they returned home troops were also given toothpaste something that had previously been a luxury item in fact after its dissemination during world war ii toothpaste became much more popular among all social classes additional items in hygiene kits included a toothbrush razor blades toilet soap and shaving cream men were also given chewing gum candy tobacco matches and cigarettes another item that unfortunately became a habit many soldiers took home with them during world war ii the same regulations were in place for personal hygiene that had been present in earlier decades but the techniques used to teach those regulations varied significantly when servicemen began their hygiene training they watched a film that showed them how to clean themselves in hopes of promoting a sense of personal and unit hygiene once units received their orders and knew their destination they were then given site-specific hygiene training troops going to europe for example were given information about typhus and trenchfoot through a series of visual aids while those bound for the pacific theater were informed about malaria water safety and parasites the use of visual media to promote public health wasn't an innovation by the military as posters pamphlets and displays were used in abundance during the 1930s however the outbreak of world war ii brought motion picture companies and the armed forces together the u.s army even took over kaufman astoria films in new york to make training films and propaganda pictures while the air force used hell roach studios in california the videos were both comically entertaining and informative characters like private snafu and private mcgillicuddy offered commandments for cleanliness and health alongside cautionary tales of what could go wrong the war department did not hold back on using motion pictures to educate about venereal disease either the std film explicit in content offered a simple and straightforward account of the effects of venereal disease which may result from intercourse servicemen were told they needed to watch understand and internalize the film if our country is to successfully defend our right to live the american way there were mixed messages for united states personnel during world war ii especially when it came to water with repeated instruction to stay clean servicemen used local water sources to wash themselves and their clothing when the opportunity arose this wasn't without risks however local water use often resulted in parasites skin infections and other health problems on the island of late in the philippines for example men were told to avoid fresh water for swimming and washing clothes due to the high risk of schistosomiasis also known as snail fever schistosomiasis also seen in troops in north africa was caused by a parasitic flatworm infiltrating the urinary or digestive systems which is super not fun to think about anyway as a result of schistosomiasis outbreaks the military tightened restrictions on water use issuing orders that all water used by troops will be obtained from approved water points to include water used for drinking bathing laundry washing of vehicles or floors wading bathing and washing of clothing by troops in any freshwater river swamp pool or rice field is prohibited the military also issued rubber boots and protective gear for engineers and soldiers serving in at-risk areas in line with other educational programs at the time they also put out cartoons emphasizing the need for prevention of snell fever in terms of keeping food preparation as clean as possible there were regulations against taking food from civilians and from eating at certain restaurants in the united kingdom for example american troops could buy food from public restaurants but this was prohibited on the continent that being said keeping sanitary standards up while away from camp was difficult to say the least commanders knew that enlisted men obtained food and water from unauthorized sources even though this was strictly prohibited this was especially true as rations featured fewer meats fruits and overall variety later into the conflict to increase the standards of food quality and cleanliness kitchen personnel were trained at special schools before being sent to overseas camps a group of sanitation experts made regular visits to mess halls to ensure cooks and food preparers kept themselves and the food clean officials took great care developing effective and efficient techniques to streamline cafeteria lines orders were dispatched with respect to how to use and place utensils and medical personnel had the authority to conduct extra examinations of food handlers as needed how effective all these precautions against foodborne illnesses were is a matter of debate over the course of the war there were 190 recorded outbreaks of food poisoning reported involving over 22 000 individuals throughout the war the general standard for servicemen was to bathe daily while in garrison and in the field at least once weekly the hair will be kept short and the beard neatly trimmed this posed a difficult choice for many especially in places where water was limited such as north africa for british troops the choice of what to do with water was to decide whether to make tea with the shaving water or to shave in the tea german troops in north africa were given a gallon each day an insufficient amount during hot summer months american troops like many of their international counterparts were given razors and shaving cream with their hygiene kits items they may have carried around in a cigar box or some comparable container military barbers used supplies as they became available sometimes resorting to using the equipment family members sent from home men could visit local barbers but the us military tried to prevent them from getting haircuts or shaves from facilities deemed unsanitary it was only after the us army enforced the prohibition on visiting restricted barbershops that the barbers began to adhere to more sanitary practices so what do you think would you have made it as a soldier in world war ii let us know in the comments below and while you're at it check out some of these other videos from our weird history

Channel: Weird History

Views: 724,296

Keywords: WW II, Hygiene During WW II, Life Of A WW II soldier, Hygienic practices in WW II, WW II Soldiers, Weird History, Weird History WW II, European history, United States History, war, use of DDT, 1940s, trench foot, STDs, Eight-Point Agreement, Shoepac System, penicillin, trench mouth, disease, propaganda films, typhus, Dengue fever, water treatment methods, Schistosomiasis, water rationing, teeth cleaning, Hal Roach Studios, Drunk History, WW II History, Today I learned, History, US

Id: GCHUgiaitxk

Length: 13min 13sec (793 seconds)

Published: Sun May 30 2021