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WORLD WAR ONE BRITISH WAR OFFICE MEDICAL DIVISION
“SHELL DRESSING” MANUFACTURED IN LONDON, ENGLAND 1917:
This is a May, 1917 dated “SHELL DRESSING” as was issued
from the British War Office, Medical Division during
World War One. Manufactured by John Tye & Son of
London, England, this field dressing is a larger version
of the field dressings carried by the individual
soldiers. The dressing title, indicating use for wounds
inflicted by “Shells” as opposed to other wounds, and
the larger size, suggests this dressing was developed to
deal with larger and more complex wounds resulting from
artillery fire.
This packet was found in a collection of US Army World
War One medical equipment and it seems likely that the
allied forces shared medical supplies on the front
lines, with each member of the alliance benefiting from
the other nations’ experience and methods of treatment.
Its quite possible a US Army doctor or medical corpsman
carried these dressings in his pouch or haversack, and
brought this specimen home from the war.
This packet is in excellent, unissued condition with all
of the printed information and maker’s name and date
fully legible. The cloth covering is intact as are the
securing strings, with no weaknesses or deterioration,
and the seams are all intact save for a ¾” section of
the top seam which appears to have been opened so the
dressing within could be viewed. The covering cloth bag
is generally clean with only some minor soiling from
storage.
This British Shell Dressing is an interesting World War
One medical item to add to your collection that has
survived in remarkable condition. (0404) $50
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