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+ 1..The Gas Mask thing is Not a Hypothesis..Men were Killing Each Other for a Life Saving Razor in the Trenches..A Gas Mask Wont Seal with a Growth..Also..The Royal Navy are Traditionally Allowed to Grow a Beard because the Beard Could be Grabbed to Help a Man Going Overboard..@Missoni is correct. Alexander the Great ordered all his soldiers to cut their beards so the enemy could not grab them and cut their throats. Small price to pay; unless you're in the Dutch army where anything goes, and the odds of being in any real combat are slim to none. If you've ever been in a damp, humid, nasty jungle environment, you'll know that lice is the least of your problems. They may not be in your beard, but they're everywhere else.
...The Royal Navy are Traditionally Allowed to Grow a Beard because the Beard Could be Grabbed to Help a Man Going Overboard.....
I recall the gas mask hypothesis was discussed on QI once; indeed, supposedly soldiers in the British Army were required to have moustaches (though not bears) through much of the 19th century, and this lasted through the Second Boer War.
What is a tash?I spent 20 years in the RAF and the rules were quite straightforward. Tash - yes, beard no, unless you had a medical condition and a note from the medics or it was part of your religion. I am sure that the Army was the same. However the strange fellows that are the Navy had some rule that it was clean shaven or a full beard - tashes were a no no. I had a mate who wore a thick black beard and shaved his head, strange fellow but he was a Matelot!
the Gas mask thought makes sense but is rather rubbished by the Navy.
We're talking Scottish sailors, right? A Scotsman once said that to really enjoy the pleasures of sheep, you have to dick them at the edge of a cliff so they push back. Is that true, @Fergiebilly?Actually, it allowed heartsick sailors to fondly recall the sheep they left behind on shore.
As a fan of Aberdeen FC I couldn't possibly commentWe're talking Scottish sailors, right? A Scotsman once said that to really enjoy the pleasures of sheep, you have to dick them at the edge of a cliff so they push back. Is that true, @Fergiebilly?
...On the question of beards in the military - my theory is the routine of shaving when joining helps install a routine and discipline. Also cleanliness/hygiene is an essential characteristic, if injured - less bacteria to infect wounds and more chance of faster return to full fitness. If my memory is right the discipline in the Royal Navy re cleanliness of ship, personnel and kit stemmed back to the Napoleonic wars when vast numbers of the opposing forces died due to wound infection and general disease.
We're talking Scottish sailors, right? A Scotsman once said that to really enjoy the pleasures of sheep, you have to dick them at the edge of a cliff so they push back. Is that true, @Fergiebilly?
And if you wear wellies, you can put their back feet into them to stop them running away.
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