Putees

[Raybun]

Can you tell me the last date the US Army used wrapped fabric (NOT canvas or leather) putees?

This is for genealogy research within my family. A member of the family was visited by a man, probably dressed in a US Army uniform that included fabric putees. This would have been sometime in the mid to late 1920s. This information could put an upper boundary on the date this visit occurred.

Thank you

Information

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[Bill Hollinger]

I found this, very interesting.

http://www.history.army.mil/html/mus...rday_Today.pdf

[RT Ellis]

Let's start with a few definitions of terms:

Leggings "gators" - generally duck (canvas) with laces or buckles on the side, and a leather or web strap that went under the instep of the shoe or boot.

Puttees - usually leather with different means of fastening generally at the front.

Wrap or spiral leggings/puttees - long strip of woven wool material that was wrapped around the leg usually from the ankle to just below the knee.

The U.S. Army and Marine Corps wore all of these types of leg protection at various times from the about 1885 until the 1950s. With the exception of the Marines deployed to the American Expeditionary Forces during WWI (1917-19) when the Marines wore wrap leggings, the Marines have consistently issued duck leggings to enlisted men until the mid-1950s.

Prior to and during the period of your inquiry until WWII officers of both the Army and Marine Corps were required to purchase their uniforms and generally wore leather boots, of either the pull on type or lace-up type, but also wore all of the previously defined types of leggings and puttees, depending on time and place and unit of assignment. All officers were expected to be equestrians and the service uniform (the uniform most often worn in garrison and the field) included leather boots.

The Army had functional branches that because of their duties required more durable lower leg protection. As a consequence Cavalry soldiers usually wore puttees, or leather reinforced leggings for mounted service. During the period of your inquiry the leggings worn by cavalry soldiers was usually the leather reinforced duck legging.

As to the rest of the U.S. Army, National Guard, and National Army the story gets a little more difficult. Generally enlisted soldiers wore wool wrap leggings from circa 1919 until circa 1938 when a new duck legging (Model-1938) was prescribed in regulations.

During the period of your inquiry an enlisted man of the U.S. Marine Corps would have been more likely to have worn the "material" legging described in your family tradition. However Marines generally wore straight pants when in casual status and the description of the man "visiting" suggests that he was away from his station or camp.

A photograph or additional description of the man and his uniform would be very useful to a more definitive answer to your inquiry.