Meet Mikhail...A work in progress

[willie777]

Actually, i think some guy sold one of those putees on e a few months ago...

[desantnik]

Forgive the commercial plug, but the WWII-era Partisan's Companion I translated gives very simple directions for how to make your own puttees along with a picture showing how to properly wrap them (pp. 118-119).

[Riley1965]

Paul,
Thanks!! I haven't read that far yet :D

:thumbsup :thumbsup Doc

[desantnik]

Ask, and you shall receive.

[willie777]

I have done a little more research, and I wasnt thinking of the putees after all. The puttees were wrapped around the shin but what i was thinking of were the footwraps or the "portyanki".

[desantnik]

Portyanki are described in the same book,"Patrolling" chapter pp. 117-118 with a line diagram of how to wrap them.

[willie777]

Can you post the instructions for the puttees and portyanki? Thanks in advance.

[textorpmt]

Thanks, this is exactly the info I have been looking for. And I guess 20 years in three branches of the military and being on a military drill team paid off. Without knowing for sure, I dressed my AF uniform the way I "thought" it should be done, and dernit, I was right, this confirms what I was thinking.

Now, I have to dissassemble 12 ribbons and reattach them to the ribbon bars I bought. I had to wait to know I was doing it right, I am just not looking forward to it.

This thread confirms I have a good display,thanks,

Phillip

[Nack]

Nack,

I think that I can answer most of your questions. I recently encountered a bag full of army underwear, and what I found was pretty unexpected.

In short, there was summer and winter type of underwear: summer in light cotton, winter in heavy flanel-like cotton, both off-white colored.
Now, for the interesting bit:
. Undershirts: both types had long sleeves, round collar and 3 buttons on the neck
. Underpants: both types had long leggings; there was no such thing as boxer shorts or other types of underwear. There are two varieties, one for soldiers (bottom of the leg closes with 2 cords) and one for officers (bottom closes with buttons).
. Socks: apparently used only by officers, and only for non-combat situations. Soldiers used (and still use today) those putees as the Russian keep thinking that it forces soldiers to take care of their feet.
I'll try to take a few pictures of them and I'll post them.

Marc

PS: If anybody is interested, I have a few spare pieces of 1950's underware available.

I somehow missed this awhile ago -- thanks Marc. Interesting for sure.