Page "Gas mask" Paragraph 36

The first use of poison gas on the Western Front was on 22 April 1915, by the Germans at Ypres, against Canadian and French colonial troops.

The initial response was to equip troops with cotton mouth pads for protection.

Soon afterwards the British added a long cloth which was used to tie chemical-soaked mouth pads into place, and which was called the Black Veil Respirator.

Dr. Cluny MacPherson of Royal Newfoundland Regiment brought the idea of a mask made of chemical absorbing fabric and which fitted over the entire head to England, and this was developed into the British Hypo Helmet of June 1915.

This primitive type of mask went through several stages of development before being superseded in 1916 by the canister gas mask of 1916.

This had a mask connected to a tin can containing the absorbent materials by a hose.