WWI Gas Mask

[Aragorn243]

I can't believe this is a thing. I was the Nuclear Biological Chemical officer for the two units I belonged to during my Army career so I have an interest in gas masks. This is not an original as they are very rare and mostly in museums. I subscribe to Man The Line which is a reenactor supplier for quite a few things. Occasionally they get real surplus in but most of their business is uniform items from the Civil War up. As a subscriber, they have a daily 1/2 off sale of one item almost every day of the week and this popped up a week ago. I really like their stuff and at half price, it's decently priced. I don't pay full price. I have several German WWI and WWII hats and some US Civil War hats and other gear from them. Things I'll never be able to afford the real deal.

It is a British PH gas helmet or hood, just fabric which would be soaked in chemicals that either neutralized the enemy gas or prevented it from reaching the wearer. You breath through the fabric and exhale through the little black valve. This is the second version, the first being one retangular viewing screen instead of the two round ones seen here. These were the first masks introduced in 1915 and lasted in use until the end of the war. They were only effective against certain specific chemicals.

How effective they were is up for debate but they were better than nothing.

It folds up and is carried in the small tan bag.

From their website:

WWI BRITISH SMOKE PH HOOD/P HELMET CARRY BAG.

The P Hood and the PH Hood was used in the First World War by the British Army and they where also called the P Helmet and PH Helmet.
They where used to protect the British soldiers from poisonous gasses.
The P Hood and the PH Hood are the same (gas masks) Helmets which look the same the only difference is that the later pattern was dipped in an extra chemical for extra protection.
The P (Phenate) Helmet first appeared in July 15th 1915 and replaced the H (Hypo) Helmet/Hood. It was an improvement over the H Helmet by having two glass (mica) eyepieces instead of the single one piece visor and a exhaust valve fed from a metal tube which the soldier held in his mouth on the inside. It was also made from a double layer Greyback wool fabric one layer was impregnated with chemicals the other layer was not.
The cloth on the P Helmet was dipped in Sodium Phenolate and Glycerin which protected the soldier from Chlorine and Phosgene.
The PH (Phenate Hexamine) Helmet replaced the P Helmet in October 31st 1915 and was the same but was also dipped with added chemical Hexamethylene Tetramine which greatly improved the wearer against Phosgene and added protection from Hydrocyanic Acid. It was replaced by the SBR but it did remained in service with second line troops, until the end of the war.
The P Helmet and the PH Helmet are often called Hoods and both would be carried in the smoke hood pouch.

[Flying10uk]

Initially the only protection that we had was, as I understand it, handkerchiefs/rags soaked in urine. Presumably there is something in urine that is advantageous over water for it's "gas neutralising properties"?

Some years ago I purchased a pair of WW1 medals at a militaria fair, just the standard victory and war medals. When I came to look up the soldier's name on the WW1 service records I found that the medals had a very interesting but very sad WW1 gas related back story to them. I have been intending to do a thread on them but haven't got round to it yet.