Think of an image from the First World War and it may well include khaki clad tommies. Yet British soldiers wearing khaki uniforms was a new concept at the time and came with challenges.

In the late 1800s it was becoming clear during the Anglo South African Wars, that the traditional red of a soldier’s uniform was becoming impractical in modern warfare. A dust-coloured cloth was experimented with using the materials to hand of dust, dung, and mud.  The name khaki derives from the Hindu-Urdu word for dust or mud covered.

By 1902 the red uniforms were resigned to ceremonial wear and the Service Dress that was produced was aimed to be comfortable and a uniform suited to the field and all weathers. This was the beginning of the khaki uniform for the British Empire. In France and Germany similar variations of khaki uniforms were being developed.

The production of khaki in Farsley, West Yorkshire and across the country was vast. During the First World War, there was a massive demand and concerns of government control on manufacture.

By the end of 1914, Field Marshal Lord Kitchener appealed to industries engaged in making material for the war effort.  A poster was prominently displayed in workshops and factories asking for their continued support and stating that their role was as important as the army's was.

However, Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley was reluctant to weave khaki cloth. They produced fine worsted suit cloth, not the coarse and rough cloth which was used to make the soldiers’ khaki uniforms.  As the War progressed though, and many battles were fought, the prospect of the War showing no signs of ending soon became a stark reality and it became clear that there was a shortage of khaki uniforms to clothe this new army. The government had to intervene and make all textile manufacturers produce their quota of khaki cloth for the war effort; even considered commandeering Mills for this purpose.

Farsley and the surrounding district alone had 12 Mills which would have all been involved in various production for the war effort, along with the main supplier of uniform cloth at that time in this area, A W Hainsworth of Stanningley, West Yorkshire.

In researching Sunny Bank Mills’ collection and their involvement in khaki production, the Guard books provide an invaluable insight.  A Guard book was used in textile mills as a detailed and tidy account of cloth production either by year, season or where the cloth was destined for.  Normally they either hold pages of swatches and references or order details, weavers’ tickets and a cloth sample.  The Guard book at Sunny Bank Mills for the First World War is very different and we have not seen any other Guard Book laid out in this way.

This Guard book documents the khaki production of Sunny Bank Mills war effort.  Each crossed out and completed order equates to enough yards of cloth to make 20 uniforms.  Therefore, on two pages the total number of uniforms made for the soldiers would be approximately 850, or the reality for Farsley folk of 850 sons, brothers, fathers, and husbands involved in the war effort.

Sunny Bank Mills was not a major producer of khaki cloth production for the war effort, but their contribution is a poignant reminder of the lives lost in this small community.  

The khaki uniform consisted of service dress tunic, service dress trousers held up with braces, service dress cap, cap badge and shoulder titles which identified the regiment. It also included a blue/grey flannel shirt, ammunition boot and puttees and several types of webbing used to carry items used in warfare.

 

The vast array of industries collectively involved in the making of the khaki uniform is an incredible testament to the British industry. However, the difficulties persisted throughout the war for the War Office maintaining supply and demand. This is highlighted when blue serge was used due to a lack of khaki cloth. On examining the Guard Book at Sunny Bank Mills during this period, samples of blue serge cloth were produced, and it is possible that this was produced for Kitchener Blue uniforms, although this cannot be confirmed.

 

Glossary:

 

Blue Serge -

Guard Book – a neat tidy reference book of cloth orders of a textile mills to record orders either by year, season, or country the cloth was made for.

Khaki - In the late 1800s it was becoming clear during the Anglo South African Wars, that the traditional red of a soldier’s uniform was becoming impractical in modern warfare. A dust-coloured cloth was experimented with using the materials to hand of dust, dung, and mud to create camouflage.

Kitchener Blue – the emergency blue uniform issued to recruits when there was a shortage of khaki cloth.

Lord Kitchener - Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener was famous for colonial victories in the Sudan and South Africa. Later, he helped build Britain's first mass army and became the face of the First World War when he appeared on the 'Your Country Needs You' poster.

Officer - At the outbreak of the First World War, young middle- and upper-class British men were leaving their public schools and homes behind to enlist as officers in the British Army. Certain responsibilities came with joining as an officer. A predominant role was to maintain the morale and health of the soldiers as time passed, ceaselessly, in the trenches.

Puttees - are strips of cloth, which were worn wrapped around the lower leg in a spiral pattern, from the ankle up to below the knee. They provide ankle support and prevent debris and water from entering the boots or pants.

Serge – a strong cloth made from wool, used especially to make jackets and coats.

Service Dress -

Tommies - The origins of the term Tommy are widely disputed, the most common interpretation is that the term comes from Tommy Atkins, which is slang for a common soldier in the British Army. The term Tommy was established during the nineteenth century but is particularly associated with the First World War.