British Film Institute

This Topical Budget newsreel item shows an emergency drill with a demonstration of changing gas helmets, highlighting one of the technological 'advances' of the First World War. Poison gas was one of the Great War's most disturbing military innovations, and created an urgent need for the development of new protective equipment. Chemicals used ranged from tear gas and mustard gas to phosgene and chlorine.

Protective measures used to counter these agents were initially crude - cotton pads and motoring goggles. A 'smoke helmet ' was then introduced - this was a flannel bag with a celluloid window, impregnated with a chemical to neutralise the gas. Further development led to the PH Helmet, which was additionally impregnated with hexamethylenetramine to counter the effects of phosgene.

The box respirator mask shown here was first introduced in 1916, using a box filter containing chemical granules to neutralise gas. By January 1917 it had become standard issue for all British soldiers. Watching this official drill, it's obvious that the masks were primitive pieces of equipment and awkward to fit, even away from the terror of a gas attack. Would the audience have been persuaded that they were at all effective?

Jan Faull

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