Small box respirator

[4] The respirator mask is light in weight and is made from khaki cotton fabric that is plated with a thin layer of black rubber.

Khaki cotton tape, located in the middle of forehead region of the mask, connects to black elastic strips from the cheeks to ascertain a suitable fit for the carrier.

[4] The mask contains an internal mouthpiece with an exhale valve made of black rubber consisting of a flange to fit both mouth and teeth.

[4] The Small Box Respirators were introduced into British and Imperial forces on the Western Front in 1916 and issue was complete early in 1917.

[3] Small Box Respirators lowered mortality rates significantly; for this reason the creation and usage of the mustard gas, a vesicant that burned the skin, was introduced as the new weapon of chemical warfare in 1917.

[8] The eye pieces were very prone to fogging and misting obstructing vision and the nose clip caused extreme discomfort.

When the mask was either moist and wet from being soaked in the absorbent solution, it formed an airtight fit over the troops mouth and noise.

[10] The cotton, which was loosely woven material, provided better absorption of the solution and allowed troop members to breathe effectively.

A long piece of black veil cotton was folded to form a large sheath pocket to retain the chemical absorbents.

Earlier versions of the gas mask prior to 1915s development of the small box respirator were crude and ineffective as no troops had yet experienced poison warfare.

One of the first gas masks seen in the early part of the war was the British hypo helmet, after recent failure and ineffectiveness of the black veil respirator.

The helmet, much like the black veil, was dipped in anti-gas chemicals such as sodium hyposulphite, washing soda, glycerine and water.

[12] The later and more refined gas mask in the form of the Large Box Respirator was developed and issued by April 1916 to specialist troops such as machine gunners, signallers and artillery.