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WWI Uniform of Lt. Henry N. Flynt

(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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Henry Flynt wore this woolen uniform while on military service during World War I (1914-1918; U.S. involvement, 1917-1918). The uniform has the markings of the 78th or "Lightning Division," and Flynt's rank, that of lieutenant, is discernable by the bar pinned on the epaulettes on the uniform?s shoulders. Perhaps the most unusual aspect to modern eyes are the pants. They are flared at the hip to allow Flynt to comfortably ride a horse. The legs fit tightly on the calf and have buttons to allow for their removal. Between the end of the trousers and the boots, long strips of woolen cloth, called puttees, are wound in a spiral up the leg. This puttee is intended to help water and mud from getting into the boot. The puttee was used throughout the First World War, but was replaced in 1929 by a canvas gaiter that laced together.

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