Who Wore Gas Masks in WWI?

The first gas masks were developed as early as 1799, before the concept of chemical warfare even existed, according to the Western Front Association. After the Allied forces were surprised by the German gas attacks in WWI, it became a priority to develop an effective and efficient way to counter these attacks.

History

• When the Germans used chlorine gas against the unsuspecting Allies at the Battle of Ypers in 1915, the Allied soldiers were advised to protect themselves by breathing into wads of absorbent cotton. The British Hypo Helmet was developed from this idea in 1915, and it was followed by the first canister gas mask a year later.

Types

• The British Hypo Helmet evolved into the British Box Respirator, which was first used by the Allies starting in 1916. By 1917, a gas mask was standard issue for all British forces. The French also developed a more comfortable (but less effective) mask called the M2. The American forces were issued both kinds when they joined the war in 1917.

Misconceptions

• The Germans were responsible for studying and early development regarding chemical warfare. Although it is widely believed that the Germans were the first to use this new knowledge in the form of a deadly gas, it was actually the French who were the first to use gas attacks, in the form of grenades armed with tear gas in the first months of the war.