This is a copy of the 51st edition of “Transfeldts Dienstunterricht für den Deutschen Herr” printed in 1916. I debated if this should be covered in this post as it is a military manual, but as it was not official issue, but was privately purchased by the German soldiers who wished to have a book that would cover important aspects of their new occupation. It covers, among other things, the use and care of the new infantry rifle, fortifications and map reading.
his is the French “Manuel du Chef-de Section D’Infantry” from 1918. It instructs the section leader on how to deal with nearly every duty he will encounter. It is well illustrated and shows the use of grenades, signaling, trench construction as well as text that covers how to utilize pigeons in the transmission of messages..
The pamphlet on the left is a British “Platoon and Company Drill” manual from 1916 and the one on the right is a British manual “Carrier Pigeons in War” from 1918
Here are two British manuals shown open as the covers have no text. The one on the top is a training manual for signaling from 1907 and the lower one is an infantry training manual from 1914. The infantry manual would have been obsolete by late 1914 and early 1915 as the tactics were drastically changed to reflect the new methods of warfare.
This is a “Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Infantry of the Army of the United States” from 1917. It covers military discipline, care and use of the 1903 Springfield rifle, orders, commands and signals, first aide and articles of war.
These are a couple of interesting U.S. Manuals, the one on the left is for the French Chauchat automatic rifle, with instructions of care and use from 1918. The one on the right is a manual for the use of hand and rifle grenades, with a section that covers the use of captured German grenades.
These are U.S. Manuals that cover motor vehicle operation and the care of rubber tires. Both were new innovations and required fairly detailed instructions for the men who drove the ambulances and transport trucks in the war zone.
Every branch in the U.S. Army had their own procedures, here is an “Engineer Field Manual” from 1918 that shows construction methods for fortifications and bridges. The center book is a “Manual for Army Cooks” from 1918 and the one on the right is a “Drill Regulations and Service Manual for Sanitary Troops, United States Army” from 1914. Sanitary Troops is the term used for medical service. This books also covers the use of horse drawn wagons as ambulances.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
On the left is “The Ship and Gun Drills, U.S. Navy” from 1914. The center book is “The Handy Book for Enlisted Men in the Engineer Department, United States Navy” from 1915. This book covers the principals and maintenance of steam powered equipment. The book on the right is the “Bluejackets Manual, United States Navy” from 1918. This is the basic navy manual that covers nearly every aspect of a seaman’s life.
This is an example of the U.S soldier’s handbook for the use of the Model 1917 rifle. It also has a score section for marksmanship training.
And because Sabine asked for cows, here is a photo of my father gathering a few cows. This photo was taken about 40 years ago. Father is riding Jack and if I am honest, I can not remember the names of all the cows in the photo, but I am pretty sure that the cow fourth from the left is Snort. She was not real friendly and taught the cowboys quickly not to aggravate her.