What Was Hygiene Like For US Soldiers In WWII?

When we think about US soldiers in World War II

we think about D-Day storming the beaches at Normandy. World War II also saw innovations that included everything

from chemicals to prevent infestation, footwear designed to keep feet dry and clean

and strict regulations about water, latrines, and food. Some of these efforts were more successful than others

And of course, mud, bugs, disease, and filth were still problematic. So today, we're going to take a look

at what hygiene was like for US soldiers in World War II. Let's see how stinky the Second World War really was

Wartime conditions invariably attract insects, and those insects spread disease. To counteract that spread, the National Institute of Health

in the United States and its global counterparts took steps to prevent potential epidemics

During the late 1930s, Swiss scientists at the Geigie Company developed an insecticide called dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane, which is better known as DDT

The chemist who came up with the concoction, Paul Muller, even won a Nobel Prize for Medicine

and Physiology in 1948 for his efforts. DDT was soon sent to the United States

where an epidemiologist named Dr. Fred Sober became one of its biggest proponents

even persuading the Egyptian government to use it to fight a malaria outbreak in 1943 and 1944

With additional support from the Rockefeller Foundation and other allied countries, DDT was being dropped directly on millions of civilians and servicemen alike in the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia by 1944

The thing about DDT was that it was easy to manufacture, affordable, and effective

The colorless, nearly odorless chemical wiped out lice, mosquitoes, mites, and other bugs, exponentially decreasing the spread of diseases such as malaria and typhus

The immediate success of DDT saved millions of lives and was touted as a solution to typhus

the dreaded plague that had followed in the wake of every great war in history

DDT's success on the field resulted in widespread demand for the product

which became available to the public during the late 1940s. Everyone from governments to farmers to backyard gardeners used DDT in abundance

spraying it in the direction of people, plants, and animals. While the public was warned of its potential to upset the balance of nature

the long-term consequences of DDT remained unknown. In the years after the First World War

the United States government established permanent laundries and dry cleaning facilities at many of its bases around the country

And once World War II broke out, laundry services were extended overseas

At Camp Lee in Virginia, troops were trained to use mobile laundry machines over 12 weeks

After completing the training, laundry units, made up of three officers and 85 enlisted men

were dispatched. From 1940 forward, mobile laundries resembling semi-trucks contained as many as six units

and could wash roughly 125 pounds of clothes each hour. Officers enlisted men and some civilians could pay to have their clothes washed although the former received preferential treatment Men paid 50 cents per bundle as legislation to have laundry service free of charge failed to come to fruition

That's right, they charged their own soldiers to wash their clothes. Servicemen also had access to public shower facilities

Much like laundries, showers were intended to keep them clean in the interest of combating lice and other infestations

while simultaneously boosting morale. Shower facilities could have between 8 and 24 shower heads

with additional fumigation areas available. Venereal disease was widespread during World War II

and many veterans brought syphilis and gonorrhea home with them. As a result, US officials made concerted efforts

to help servicemen make sound decisions, to conduct medical tests, and to keep detailed records

of venereal disease outbreaks. The more active approach, called the Eight-Point Agreement

helped make solicitation in the proximity of bases a federal offense, established rapid treatment centers

for venereal disease, and fostered strategies for treating disease while allowing men to stay on active duty

Servicemen also gained access to penicillin, a relatively new drug purported to have vast success

against venereal diseases, alongside standard arsenic and sulfur treatments. The United States War Department, for their part

started distributing pamphlets with much more explicit information than had ever been extended to men in service

Men were instructed on how to clean themselves, informed about prophylaxis options

and told to seek treatment immediately should symptoms of a venereal disease arise

The soldiers were also told that, at the end of the day, the best way to avoid venereal disease was just to stay away from women

Hard to argue with that logic. Trench foot is a serious condition that results from a person's feet being wet for long periods

of time. And because it had been such a big problem during World War I, the military wanted to

give men a way to keep their feet dry and warm. Women in Britain were encouraged to make socks for servicemen, while textile factories shifted

production to accommodate the need. In the United States, the shoe pack system was implemented in 1944, giving men a waterproof

lined boot. The shoe pack included rubber and leather layers with felt on the inside of the shoe

to maintain warmth. Shoe packs were made by L.L. Bean, a variation of its main hunting shoe

There weren't always enough shoe packs to go around, and sometimes the sizes didn't match

the need, but they proved effective as long as men wore wool socks and changed them regularly

The lack of ventilation in the shoe pack necessitated the frequent changing of socks

lest the owners develop macerated feet or shoe pack foot, with the skin on the bottoms of their feet

resembling wet blotting paper. The military also established shoe repair teams, giving servicemen an opportunity to have quality

fixes on their footwear. Whereas during World War I, the men had to rely on local contractors who often provided

sub-quality work with inadequate materials. Keeping men clean, tidy, and presentable

according to the regulations of the War Department in 1942 meant teeth had to be brushed at least once a day Necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis also known as trench mouth was a common affliction during

World War I, and it remained common in World War II. Caused by stress, a lack of dental care

and malnutrition, trench mouth resulted in bleeding, pain, and gum decay. There were

numerous efforts to try to combat trench mouth. Tooth powder became a regular feature in hygiene

kits, and the men were continually ordered to brush their teeth every day, a practice many

continued after they returned home. Troops were also given toothpaste, something that had

previously been a luxury item. In fact, after its dissemination during World War II, toothpaste

became much more popular among all social classes. Additional items in hygiene kits included a

toothbrush, razor blades, toilet soap, and shaving cream. Men were also given chewing gum, candy

tobacco, matches, and cigarettes, another item that unfortunately became a habit many soldiers

took home with them. During World War II, the same regulations were in place for personal hygiene

that had been present in earlier decades, but the techniques used to teach those regulations

varied significantly. When servicemen began their hygiene training, they watched a film that showed

them how to clean themselves in hopes of promoting a sense of personal and unit hygiene. Once units

received their orders and knew their destination, they were then given site-specific hygiene training

Troops going to Europe, for example, were given information about typhus and trench foot through

a series of visual aids, while those bound for the Pacific theater were informed about malaria

water safety, and parasites. The use of visual media to promote public health wasn't an innovation

by the military, as posters, pamphlets, and displays were used in abundance during the 1930s

However, the outbreak of World War II brought motion picture companies and the armed forces

together. The U.S. Army even took over Kaufman Astoria Films in New York to make training films

and propaganda pictures, while the Air Force used Hell Roach Studios in California. The videos were

both comically entertaining and informative. Characters like Private Snafu and Private McGillicuddy offered commandments for cleanliness and health alongside cautionary tales of what

could go wrong. The War Department did not hold back on using motion pictures to educate about

venereal disease either. The STD film, explicit in content, offered a simple and straightforward

account of the effects of venereal disease which may result from intercourse. Servicemen were told

they needed to watch, understand, and internalize the film if our country is to successfully defend

our right to live the American way. There were mixed messages for United States personnel during

World War II, especially when it came to water. With repeated instruction to stay clean, servicemen

used local water sources to wash themselves and their clothing when the opportunity arose

This wasn't without risks, however. Local water use often resulted in parasites, skin infections

and other health problems. On the island of Late in the Philippines, for example

men were told to avoid fresh water for swimming and washing clothes due to the high risk of schistosomiasis also known as snail fever Schistosomiasis also seen in troops in North Africa was caused by a parasitic flatworm infiltrating the urinary or digestive systems

which is super not fun to think about. Anyway, as a result of schistosomiasis outbreaks

the military tightened restrictions on water use, issuing orders that all water used by troops will be obtained from approved water points

to include water used for drinking, bathing, laundry, washing of vehicles, or floors

Waiting, bathing, and washing of clothing by troops in any freshwater river, swamp pool

or rice field is prohibited. The military also issued rubber boots and protective gear for

engineers and soldiers serving in at-risk areas. In line with other educational programs at the

time, they also put out cartoons emphasizing the need for prevention of snail fever

In terms of keeping food preparation as clean as possible, there were regulations against taking food from civilians

and from eating at certain restaurants. In the United Kingdom, for example

American troops could buy food from public restaurants, but this was prohibited on the continent

That being said, keeping sanitary standards up while away from camp was difficult, to say the least

Commanders knew that enlisted men obtained food and water from unauthorized sources, even though this was strictly prohibited

This was especially true as rations featured fewer meats, fruits, and overall variety later into the conflict

To increase the standards of food quality and cleanliness, kitchen personnel were trained at special schools before being sent to overseas camps

A group of sanitation experts made regular visits to mess halls to ensure cooks and food preparers kept themselves and the food clean

Officials took great care developing effective and efficient techniques to streamline cafeteria lines

Orders were dispatched with respect to how to use in-place utensils. And medical personnel had the authority

to conduct extra examinations of food handlers as needed. How effective all these precautions

against foodborne illnesses were is a matter of debate. Over the course of the war, there

were 190 recorded outbreaks of food poisoning reported, involving over 22,000 individuals

Throughout the war, the general standard for servicemen was to bathe daily while in garrison

and in the field at least once weekly. The hair will be kept short and the beard neatly trimmed

This posed a difficult choice for many, especially in places where water was limited

such as North Africa. For British troops, the choice of what to do with water

was to decide whether to make tea with the shaving water or to shave in the tea

German troops in North Africa were given a gallon each day, an insufficient amount

during hot summer months. American troops, like many of their international counterparts

were given razors and shaving cream with their hygiene kits, items they may have carried around in a cigar box or some comparable container

Military barbers used supplies as they became available, sometimes resorting to using the equipment family members sent from home

Men could visit local barbers, but the U.S. military tried to prevent them

from getting haircuts or shaves from facilities deemed unsanitary. It was only after the U.S. Army enforced the prohibition on visiting restricted barbershops

that the barbers began to adhere to more sanitary practices