Military query

[snakey]

Army and Navy folks, I have a question for you:

Do any of you have solid data on what the regulations about shaving were in the respective services? I know officers at least were expected to be clean shaven.... What about the ranks and the hands? What about side-whiskers?

Much obliged....

Comments

[sartorias]

Well, in Swords around the Throne I think it is (it's still dark here and I don't want to turn on a light as my spouse is still asleep) there is everything listed about the French Grande Armee. I mean not just when to shave, but which ranks and types of service required sideburns, etc.

[snakey]

Swords is on my to-read list.... I'm currently reading the Richard Horward books, so the background info would be extremely helpful! *bumps it up a bit*

[mylodon]

Somewhere (and I can't find which wretchhd book - may be The making of Master and Commander) it says that sailors had to shave twice a week. Sideburns were allowed but no beards/moustaches. Would love to have alink to something that lays down the rules.

[grace_poppy]

Stephen grew out his beard and didn't get in trouble.

Beard...

[snakey]

Stephen also wore a woollen Garment, replaced his pistol with a teratoma, and kept a sloth.

*makes point*

[grace_poppy]

But he was REPRIMANDED for all of those things.

[snakey]

He got nagged about shaving all the time, though... (when did he actually grow out his beard? - I can't remember.)

[grace_poppy]

What about the ranks and the hands? What about side-whiskers?

For some reason, I suddenly got the mental image of beards growing on hands...

If the hands had beards growing on the palms, they had to shave daily (at least, in the navy, because otherwise the rope would snag and rip the hair out.) If they had beards on the BACKS of their hands, though, they could keep them, as it was viewed as a natural mitten, especially when rubbed with slush. Likewise with feet. Hair growing on the soles of the feet had to be shaved, but hair on the top of the feet, as with hobbits, was allowed.

Side-whiskers were not allowed to grow their own little beards. Scalps of heads were, however, highly encouraged to grow beards which were sometimes plaited into long pigtails.

[snakey]

I suppose there's no need to speculate how they got hair on their hands....

(you so silly!)

[grace_poppy]

Um...? *is innocent and naive, and prefers to keep things that way*

[snakey]

Yes, dear. *pats*

(This is starting to resemble the conversation I had with the Gilly about whether Stephen canonically has chest hair.... The Great Unanswered Questions of the Aubreyad.)

[sharpiefan]

I know at sea, all hands (and presumably Marines) had to shave on Thursdays (for divisions) and Sundays (for church). No idea about the length of side-burns, apart from the fact that the length of Marines' sideys would be affected by the height of the jacket collar...

[snakey]

*squints at your icon* Looks like they've got some 'burn action going on there....

(Random thought: I wonder what age they made them *start* shaving at, considering the mids & ship's boys, or if it was taken on a case-by-case basis....)

[sharpiefan]

Prolly 'case-by-case' seeing as they didn't have safely razors...

[snakey]

*imagines tiny!mid with straight razor* :O

Good point.

(Actually, imagine trying to shave full stop on a ship...was it Cochrane who had to basically stick his head out the skylight thingy *flails for nautical word* to shave because the ceiling was so low? I'm surprised people didn't slice off their own ears all the time.... *is capable of cutting up his own face with a safety razor, so would surely be dead on a ship*)