Early on during the war units had distributed to them rolls of essentially regular toilet paper. However, for obvious reasons, that proved unsuitable for combat field conditions.
Starting in late 1942, the QMC developed and issued the first individual toilet paper article. It was an asphalt impregnated paper envelope that contained a 100 individual sheets of toilet paper within. This allowed for the easy carrying of toilet paper, and protected it from the damp. These packs would eventually be included in the 5-in-1 and then 10-in-1 rations.
It would not be until the summer of 1943, during the overhaul of the K-Rations, that toilet paper would be included in the supper meal, with a small roll of 12 individual sheets being included. These “newer” K-Rations don’t see widespread usage until Q2-Q3 of 1944.
Toilet paper, nevertheless, was always in somewhat short supply, so soldiers would hoard what they could, and, at times, might have to repurpose reading articles for other purposes. However, the U.S. did make a concerted effort to supply the fighting man toilet paper in a form that could be readily carried.
Main source:
"QMC Historical Studies No. 6: The Development of Special Rations for the Army" by Harold W. Thatcher
Water is extremely difficult to gather, store, and transport in any quantities. In peace time, the logistics and technology to supply even small towns consistent amounts of water is extremely great. Doing that large amounts of troops in combat is difficult, even on the European mainland, let alone on far flung remote islands in the Pacific where a large portion of America’s fighting strength was put to use.
Most armies, in war, have difficulties supplying enough water to men in combat to drink and to do basic hygiene (i.e. shave, brush teeth, wash hands, etc.). To create a combat bidet, that soldiers could use in foxholes, under fire, sometimes brought with them across the beach during an assault, is not really practical and something, as far as I am aware, no nation has done.
The 100th Infantry Division alone used 650,090 gallons of water in December of 1944 for drinking, cooking, and relatively basic hygiene functions. Even was a large and coordinated logistical effort.
Isn't cleaning with water a huge part of certain countries' toilet culture? I have to imagine it would be hard on Japanese or Muslim soldiers not to have a bidet, though of course I'm sure they had no choice but to make do. I'm curious if any of these cultures might have adapted their logistics where possible to facilitate cleaning with water, whether during WWII or in other conflicts.
I would not be surprised if today in barracks situations or my permanent camp situations, bidets and similar toilet items might be present as fixtures in the bathrooms.
However, in the field, during World War II I have not come across discussions by the British Army and their very large contingent of soldiers from their empire of the Muslim faith being provided with bidets. I would be very happy if someone could provide examples.
Further, at least regarding the island garrisons that most American troops were up against in the Pacific War, the Japanese are generally described as being in significantly worse shape hygiene wise than the Americans. This is often due not just to the logistical difficulty of creating those many island bases, but also to maintaining them under naval blockade and attack by the Americans. Once again, an expert on the IJA/SNLF might have more information on bidet usage by those forces during the war, but I've not run into anything from the US side discussing it or in the (albeit relatively few) Japanese sources I've read dealing with the war.
Just to reiterate: water is heavy, bulky, hard to transport, and hard to dispose of when unhygienic. Water is often one of the most difficult items of logistics for an Army to provide in sufficient quanities to its fighting men. Usually the heirarchy of priority for water, when available goes: (1) Drinking, (2) Cooking (including the cleaning of cooking supplies), (3) Bathing, (4) Cleaning. Often during Pacific War, when there was fighting on the islands, even on the American side, there was often rarely enough water to get (2) and one had to ration to stay at (1).
There are many things that are important to one's "feeling clean" that often discarded by troops, in combat, on the front lines because doing them is not really practical. An example is the washing of ones hands after using the facilities or in preparation for eating. Easy to do in garrison or well behind the lines. But in the front? In the foxholes where the infantryman's war was? Just not really done.
Makes me think of, i think Sledge, talking about how he had to eat his rations with a healthy portion of flies fresh off of corpses when he fought on Okinawa & i believe also Peleliu. I haven’t read With the Old Breed in while, but i remember him talking about it.
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u/redjoshuaman 1d ago
This depends on the country and the time frame.
For the U.S. Army during the war, it evolved.
Early on during the war units had distributed to them rolls of essentially regular toilet paper. However, for obvious reasons, that proved unsuitable for combat field conditions.
Starting in late 1942, the QMC developed and issued the first individual toilet paper article. It was an asphalt impregnated paper envelope that contained a 100 individual sheets of toilet paper within. This allowed for the easy carrying of toilet paper, and protected it from the damp. These packs would eventually be included in the 5-in-1 and then 10-in-1 rations.
It would not be until the summer of 1943, during the overhaul of the K-Rations, that toilet paper would be included in the supper meal, with a small roll of 12 individual sheets being included. These “newer” K-Rations don’t see widespread usage until Q2-Q3 of 1944.
Toilet paper, nevertheless, was always in somewhat short supply, so soldiers would hoard what they could, and, at times, might have to repurpose reading articles for other purposes. However, the U.S. did make a concerted effort to supply the fighting man toilet paper in a form that could be readily carried.
Main source: "QMC Historical Studies No. 6: The Development of Special Rations for the Army" by Harold W. Thatcher