True story this; the g. uncles were all in Highland regiments during WW1. Leave was not common, but on coming home one was so louse ridden and poorly dressed that his Mother and sisters were horrified and laboured to make him new kit, like shirts, hose, etc., but his kilt was lousy, so they steamed it.
They literally laid it on top of a burden board above the big copper wash-house boiler, and they boiled it up for hours. Then they pressed it with hot irons and steaming cloths. No other way to be sure to kill anything living in the pleats of the tartan.
They did the same to his uniform tunic and his bunnet.
He went back to the front with new underpinnings, and as clean and well fed as they could make him.
I have no idea what they did about body lice, etc., the only comment I heard was the Doctor gave him something to use, but he slept outside in the byre until he was clean. He didn't want to bring anything into the house.
Wonder if it were the mercury mixture ?
What a hellish way to live, covered in lice and fleas and fighting and dying in the mud filled trenches and barbed wire and gas of no man's land.
Then I look at the news, and you'd think the world would learn, but no, still folk stir up war and misery.
My Mum said when we were little, and the Police Station sirens were being 'tested', that she hoped we never lived through a war.....and we are lucky on our wee island, because war rarely actually comes to us, but that doesn't stop our involvement.
Could we no' try peace instead ?
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