THE BATTLE OF CAMBRAI, NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1917 THE BATTLE OF CAMBRAI, NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1917 © IWM (Q 7289)


 

Often it was from the vehicle itself that the soldiers needed protection. The uneven terrain of no-man's-land caused crews inside the tanks to bounce around wildly, and because they were unprotected, non-combat head injuries were commonplace. The solution was to issue helmets to the troops inside the tanks.

Armoured shields or chain-mail masks guarded faces from small-arms fire coming through the tank's vision ports, and from "splash", metal fragments sent flying through the crew compartment by the force of shells or other projectiles hitting the steel hull.

Made from khaki wool, the Service Dress Jacket was the primary garment worn by British soldiers during WW1. It featured a stand-up collar, brass buttons, and four large pockets for carrying essential items. The jacket's loose fit allowed for easy movement and provided limited protection from the elements. The tankcorps also had an tank overall when they where inside there tanks. The officers used there swagger stick to see if the soil was dry enouph for the tanks to start there attack on the frontline.

You have to imagen, the noise, the heat, the fumes, spinning chains, inside those tanks!