The German Lederschutzmaske, or ‘Leather Protection Mask’. Note that the canister of this example has the clip-on extension introduced in 1918. (RELAWM04523.005)

The Germans were the first of the combatant powers to use gas during the First World War and by April 1915 had made the decision to employ lethal poison gas to try and steal victory from the Allies. In response to this new threat, the Allies protested vigorously about the barbarity and inhumanity of the German action while simultaneously developing their own chemical warfare capabilities.

Chemical warfare quickly became an accepted feature of life on the Western Front. Yet it took the outburst of panic following the first Chlorine Gas attacks to mobilise support for increased troop protection against this new weapon. Within days, responding to an appeal by Lord Kitchener, the women of Great Britain had began to produce the first type of gas mask used by Allied forces. The masks were in fact nothing more than rudimentary cotton wool pads wrapped in muslin or veiling and then soaked with Hyposulphite (‘Hypo’), Bicarbonate of soda solution, urine or water. The pads were useless when dry and usually formed a completely airtight mass when wet and were quickly replaced by the so-called ‘Black Veil’ mask. This new type of gas mask used shredded cotton waste to replace the cotton wool, and utilised glycerine to keep the Hypo solution damp. The Black Veil was reasonably efficient against Chlorine, but was difficult to fit quickly, and soon became unserviceable.

By late 1915, the ‘Hypo Helmet’ had replaced these ‘pad’ respirators. Consisting of a flannel bag soaked in a similar Hypo solution to the Black Veil, it was placed over the head and tucked inside the buttoned up uniform tunic. Although very effective against Chlorine, the introduction of new gases – most significantly the highly lethal Phosgene –quickly rendered it obsolete. Furthermore, the fragile Mica window providing vision was easily cracked. The Hypo helmet was later developed into the ‘P’ and then into the ‘PH’ Helmet, by the addition of new substances to the Hypo mix. Other improvements included toughened individual glass eye-pieces, and an outlet valve to remove Carbon Dioxide from the helmet.

In 1916, a completely new design of gas mask was issued to British troops. This was the ‘Small Box Respirator’, which incorporated several new innovations. Apart from its rubberised fabric facepiece, a second line of protection was offered by a nose clip and separate mouth piece leading to a filtration canister via a flexible tube. This canister contained charcoal and soda-lime granules interspersed with fabric, gauze and wire filters. This setup effectively cleansed all air before it was drawn into the lungs, and was efficient enough to remain in service, virtually unchanged, for the remainder of the war.

Like their Allied counterparts the Germans were proactive in developing gas masks. Differing from the British masks in several ways they were initially made of rubber but were later replaced by oiled leather as rubber was in short supply. They consisted of a full face pattern with a canister that threaded directly onto a steel plate set in the lower part of the mask. This was a superior setup when compared to the British model as it did away with the separate mouthpiece, nose clip and lengthy connecting hose. However, although the German gas mask was smaller and somewhat less cumbersome than its British equivalent, it provided less protection, and was serviceable for a shorter period of time.

The British persevered for a considerable time with the ‘separate canister’ principle but it was the German design which was the greatest influence on the development of the gas mask. From the Second World War to present virtually all military respirators have been based on the principle of the replaceable screw-in canister, which can be easily and cheaply upgraded to deal with different gasses encountered. Although masks are now universally made of rubber, and include a number of innovations to improve vision and permit communication, the debt to their ancestral German design remains clear.

A 9.2 inch Howitzer of the 2nd Australian Siege Battery in action near Ypres, late 1917. The men are wearing their Small Box Respirators.
(AWM E00693)