Didn't the army use tooth paste?

For my collection, I would like to get my hands on a tube or box of WW2 British army tooth paste. In several decades of collecting, however, I don't believe I have ever seen one for sale. Only naval tooth paste boxes like the one below. I know the army had tooth brushes. What did they put on?!

 

In warmer climes, salt on your finger (brush optional!)

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Yes, the British Army did issue toothpaste in WWII. Images on re-enactor and militaria sites show tubes of Euthymol as part of the kit. Whether that was the only brand used I don't know. A Great War re-enactor site has Colgate for the 1914-18 kit, so maybe that was used in WWII as well.

 

Reenactors tend to use Euthymol as it looks the part rather than because it is right - a metal tube is better than a nice plastic colegate (it does taste horrible though) for kit displays I always used one of the Enolin Navy Tooth Soap tubs as per the original post (their are a few colour variants) - I think during the War soldiers used existing domestic brands rather than specific made for the military ones but probably supplied through the NAAFI.

 

A couple more RN ones showing variation

 

I have a letter from my Grandad to my Nan from January 1945 in the Ardennes. The only thing he asked for her to send was toothpaste!

Alex.

 

Thanks. Could the glass jar be tooth paste?

And... although a bit off topic... might even be a Rifle Brigade Lance-Corporal stripe!

 

Have looked through some of the stores lists for my father's regiment and never seen any toothpaste, plenty of carbolic though.

 

An account I've seen on a site selling reenactment kit stated that there was no 'standard' brand. New recruits were issued with a initial tin or tube but usually purchased there own soon after from the canteen etc to suit their own taste.

 

Never mind toothpaste Tony, I see a couple of the officers had feather pillows, blimey!

 

Poor old Captain Williams didn't!

 

By WW2 feather pillows were no longer the mark of luxury. Increased production of poultry for food either in the form of flesh or eggs had meant a plentiful supply of feathers. However ordinarily hen feathers were the coarsest and the most likely to harbour allergy creating organisms or other pests and were difficult to wash and dry. Duck and Goose were the best feathers ( in that order) for pillows and down was preferable to ordinary feathers but the price rose accordingly. So it depends whether the officers were getting ordinary hen feather pillows (not particularly unusual) or goose down ones (really luxury) or something inbetween.

 

We were never allowed to take toothpaste on patrols. We were told the enemy would be able to smell it. Didn't know we were fighting German Shepherds

 

Hence my salt reference above Kevin, and this from a chap with all his own teeth still, though I'll readily admit about a quarter of them are broken (not through the salt mind!)

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

P.S. And I never got bumped on an OP so there must be something in it.

 

The Ancient Greeks, the Plains 'Indians', those Elizabethans who bothered etc swore by wood ash applied in the same manner. (If I was an ancient Hindu warrior using cow dung ash I might swear at rather than by)

BTW I have seen reference to the best tool with which to apply blanco being a tooth brush, presumably to webbing not teeth but with white blanco who knows?

 

I should interject here that the general standard of dental health and hygiene in both the British and Australian armies was very low by modern Western standards, at least at the beginning of WWII. As I recall quite a few rankers of 50th Division (all young, bear in mind) had lost teeth before they joined the army, and there were cases of men who needed complete sets of dentures before their 30th birthday. This was before the National Health, of course, and for many working class men the simplest and cheapest way to deal with a problem tooth was just to have it whipped out. The AIF was just as bad, if not worse. Army rations and field conditions didn't help, but at least army dentists didn't make you pay an arm and a leg for treatment.

 

Army dentists were of course officers so they didn't 'recommend treatment' in the modern sense, they gave orders and their main concern was that no dental complaints should arise on active service. Fillings were rare. Extraction was the favoured course of preventive treatment. "Those are coming out, Soldier !'

Co-incidentally, 50th Div in 1940...."Pass the dentifrice"

 

P

Aaaaaah, the joys (and pitfalls) of having your respirator case full of boiled sweets.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.