4. When the war started, British soldiers went into battle with just a cloth cap for protection
In 1914, when the war began, steel helmets were not available. So the soldiers had to use pieces of cloth to protect themselves. Old socks, soaked in their own urine were also used as shield.
Luckily, steel Brodie helmets were introduced in 1915. The German army called them "Salad Bowls"! They were very uncomfortable, but at least they gave the soldiers some protection.
There were no gas masks for the soldiers either. They used cloth against gas attacks until masks were made.
Gas masks used in World War One were made as a result of poison gas attacks that took the Allies in the trenches on the Western Front by surprise.