In an unspecified location in the region of Argonne in Northeastern France, French soldiers stand in line for inspection in this photo that was produced in the opening months of 1916.
After the German attack at Langemarck on the 22nd of April in 1914, the allied nations had scrambled to not only produce their own stock of lethal gasses but also the protective gear to keep their own soldiers safe from the hazardous effects of chemical warfare.
While a panicked Britain had initially advised its soldiers to protect their respiration with anything from urine-soaked handkerchiefs to even a piece of cloth packed with a lump of mud, till a series of gas masks had been invented in quick succession.
The French, having suffered the effects of chlorine along with the Algerians, Moroccans and later the Canadians who had rushed in to fill the gap, had invented their range of gas masks even faster.
The Tampon TN variant.
The Tampon TN model that these French soldiers can be seen wearing was the final evolution of the Tampon series of gas masks – which were basically a type of ‘pad masks’ soaked in a chemical solution and provided to soldiers together with goggles. The first model in the series, the Tampon P, had come with a single pad soaked in castor oil and sodium ricinate, and had provided sufficient protection against tear gas and chlorine.
But as more lethal gasses had later emerged, the number of pads had increased and the design of the mask had been altered for better usage and protection.
In the Tampon TN series, a variant that was introduced in January 1916 and remained in service till April 1916, the pads were larger and conical in shape to fully cover the nose and the mouth of the wearer. These masks were additionally equipped with a waterproof cover.
Prior to being replaced by the French M2 Gas Maskin April 1916, almost 6.8 million units of the TN model of Gas Masks were produced for French and other allied soldiers.
This photo comes accompanied with the following caption in French: En Argonne. Le colonel d’un régiment passe en revue ses hommes munis d’un masque protecteur contre les gaz asphyxiants. Which translated into English stands as: In Argonne, the colonel of a regiment reviews his men equipped with protective masks against asphyxiating gases.
I F I This is an Independent Story that tries to unravel the history behind this featured Vintage Photo from 1916, and also highlight how and why the French Tampon TN Model of Gas Masks came into service. It has been created out of facts curated from literary and historical sources. I
