While searching the photographis collection of the NZ National Library, I came across this revealing pic


Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand
The caption reads:
New Zealand soldiers hold up New Zealand and German army underclothing to compare the materials each type is made of. While the former is made of wool, the latter consists of lighter material 'resembling sackcloth'. Photograph taken Bus-les-Artois 15 April 1918 by Henry Armytage Sanders.

Although it does not say which is German and which is New Zealand. The center and righthand items look very similar to what the NZ Army was still issusing as "Draws, mans" and "Undershirt, mans" in 1972

cheers
David

It's hard to believe that fighting men wore this sort of clothing! It looks terribly uncomfortable.

By the way, what does the picture in your banner show?

Chas

Hi Chas,

The things our forefathers had to do for King and Country

The Banner picture is part of this:


A group of soldiers with their kit standing on Waiouru Railway Station. They have just arrived, either by train or by the covered military trucks which are standing by. Photographed by Sydney Charles Smith in about 1940

Waiouru is the NZ Army's main training establishment. First set up in the 1930s as a temporary summer camp for the artillery and true to the maxim "there ain't nothin' as permanent as temporary" Wikipedia has a reasionable rundown on
waiouru , it just fails to comment on the climate. Like all go military training areas, 4 seasons in one day is not uncommon

cheers
David

I found it amuzing that the NZ 21st Infantry Battalion in their official history still will not admit that they were over run in a coup de main at Point 175 in the Libyan desert by the Italian Ariete Division. Will they ever change that entry? They felt embarassed to be captured by the Itailans.

Mike T.