Lice

So I know about lice, and many other far more worrying things you can get of the people you may have to live with if you don't have the correct facilities. Know thyne enemy.

So we're talking rabid badgers here? i understand they are very contagious.

 

So we're talking rabid badgers here? i understand they are very contagious.


I sometimes worry, and it's not good for my health. Are you studying psychology or are you just there as a case study?

 

Case study.
I am actually studying Countryside Management and Leisure. For some reason Psychology and Sociology are part of the Leisure curriculum. Don't ask me. I'm still getting my head around Eros and Thanatos and how they link in to Edgework.
So you haven't had rabid badgers then?
Kitty

 

To this day the old salts still tap their biscuits on the plate to get rid of the weavels.

On the subject of lice.
My uncle had an anecdote about washing himself in petrol to get rid of them. All was going well until a German plane arrived on the scene and he and his mates had to shift fast from the Bren Gun Carrier.

 

To this day the old salts still tap their biscuits on the plate to get rid of the weavels.
I understood it was to stun the weavels so they didn't wriggle whilst eating them. Still gross whichever way you look at it.

On the subject of lice.
My uncle had an anecdote about washing himself in petrol to get rid of them. All was going well until a German plane arrived on the scene and he and his mates had to shift fast from the Bren Gun Carrier.

Smokin'!

 

quote=ourbill]
On the subject of lice.
My uncle had an anecdote about washing himself in petrol to get rid of them. All was going well until a German plane arrived on the scene and he and his mates had to shift fast from the Bren Gun Carrier.[/quote]

the same thing was used in the sixties to get rid of crabs!

I remember watching a programme where a surgeon was talking about his job and mentioned about crabs and petrol. He then went on to say that there was a hit in the charts called "great balls of Fire"!!!:wow:

 

"fitted with 'anti-vermin' battledress."

Must have been the mothballs they used in stores! the local Chinese Cash and carry have them as well, the smell brings lots of memeories!

 

Not true owen. No Need.
Sapper

 

Owen/Sapper

The only dis-infestant treatment that I can recall in Italy were the mobile bath-house units that used to occasionally find us in the line. They provided the full service of hot showers, clean underwear and de-licing, if one needed the service.

Like Brian, I can not remember ever being issued with any powder.

I do remember however that whenever we overan German unit positions they were always covered in a pink carbolic type powder.

 

Own -
AT one point in our sojourn after the fighting ceased we were sent from Austria all the way back down to Naples to pick up the first of the Armoured Cars which we were exchanging for our Sherman Tanks - so during the long ride back to Austria we availed ourselves of the local units for bed and breakfast et al.

Our last stop was close to udine with the 8th Indian Division who fed and watered us very well.

As we approached Villach the next day - we just knew that we had picked up some passengers and so the line up at the RAP was long and we were all painted with ye olde Gentian Violet to get rid of the crabs which everyone of us had picked up with the Indians - only time we were ever bothered with such like.

Just as well as it was not funny !
Cheers

 

One of the reasons why lice was not a problem that it was in the Great War was said to be the use of DDT.The Americans discovered it by chance when they were conducting nerve gas research in 1937.

The use of DDT seemed to be widespread by the end of the war when it became fairly common to see newsreels of ex POWs being deloused by the application of DDT powder directed down the trousers by special bellows or in other cases such as liberated concentration camp inmates,applied to the stripped down person directly and to piles of personal clothing.

The reference to what was thought to be delousing agent used by the Wehrmacht is interesting.Hitler's personal physician,Dr Morell, considered to be a quack and a charlatan by the inner circle had tremendous sway with the Fuhrer.Morell who had made himself quite weathly from his affilliation with Hitler bought factories in Hamburg and in Czecholslovakia where he produced his various potions and hormone prepararations which with Hitler's personal backing were forced on to the Wehrmacht.One of Morell's specialities was delousing powder which he named "Russia".This powder was forced on to the Wehrmacht through a contract awarded to Morell which gave him useful financial gains.However, the Wehrmacht in the field were not too happy to use it because it did not work and apparently it had a real stench.Despite this, the stuff was continued to be issued with ordinary soldier joking that it encourage lice and killed them instead by its stench.

Delousing powder was also seen by the SOE as a means of inflicting annoyance to the German soldier in the occupied countries,by the covert introduction of itching powder to their delousing powder.I do not think the operation is recorded as being executed or its degree of success if it was.

 

Harry -
It should also be noted that when the Germans retreated from Naples they destroyed everthing they could think of -Docks - Gasworks - Sub Stations - Water supplies so it no surprise to find that the whole population of that ravaged city were lousey !

This was cured by the application of DDT blown up skirts down fronts - up and down trousers - even diapers - everyone was treated....result no more lice in naples - for a while anyway..

Owen - on re-reading Ron's tale of mobile showers - they were a godsend - and we first encountered them when we joined the Canadians at Lucera just North of Foggia the massive airfield in Southern Itaky - and used them almost every day !

When we finally got to Austria - we built our own Squadron shower....as can be seen on this link...


BBC - WW2 People's War - Strassburg Pt. 2

still brings on the giggles to me !
Cheers

 

Owen -
I knew I had seen a comment of the German's complaining about Lice in Italy - dug it out of Matthew Parker's book on "Monte Cassino " Chap 5 - the British Xcorps crossing the Garigliano - pp 101 - a soldier of the 276th regt 94th Div ..." I start becoming a pessimist - the tommies write in their leaflets that the choice is ours - Tunis or Stalingrad -we are on half rations.No mail .Teddy is a prisoner..the lice are getting the better of us. I do not care any longer !"

That was on the 22nd January '44 - bitterly cold - ice - snow -winds - just the whole bundle !
Cheers

 

When the crabs infestation ran riot, there was a special room with a medical orderly, with a bath, You had to stand inthe bath and shave your own precious little bits before you were given Blue Unction smear over the little bits and around your groin. I ca recall just how bloody uncomfortable it was, walking gingerly..

Specially for an innocent country lad that knew nothing about such things
Sapper

 

The other skin infection,most prevalent during the war was scabies,obviously the result of crowded living and affecting both military and civilian populations.

I have just read about the experiences of a RAF aircrew evader in France.After being on the run for nearly a week, he finally found refuge and help but was found to be very weak and in need of medical attention.A friendly doctor was called and found that he was suffering from malnutrition and surprisingly,scabies for which he received attention before he was passed down the line to freedom.