World War I Military Items

The First World War, also known as the Great War, was the largest conflict in the world to date. This period of warfare involved armies, navies, and early iterations of air forces clashing against each other across Europe. With so many countries involved in this brutal war, we see numerous items available to collectors and historians including uniforms, medals, boots, and even weapons from World War I.

World War One saw the end of cavalry and the rise of the machine gun, modern artillery, and even chemical weapons. Soldiers used early examples of military gas masks and modern metal helmets and air forces were developed and left behind militarized aircraft, pilot’s goggles, helmets and jackets for collectors. Contrastingly, swords were still widely issued in some armies. One of the most interesting and unique collectibles is art from the trenches.

Quick Facts

• The trench warfare necessitated close quarters combat, for which rifles at the time were poorly suited, so soldiers designed a variety of knives, clubs, and other weapons
• The British small box respirator gas mask was used in the Battle of Somme, and saved thousands of soldiers from massive gas attacks
• The Pedersen device made it possible for Americans to convert their bolt action rifles into fully automatic trench sweepers