'Chemico' body armour belonging to Corporal Sidney W Cooper, 2nd/6th North Staffordshire (Princess of Wales's) Regiment, 1915

Although steel helmets were issued to all soldiers, body armour was not universally adopted. It tended to be used mainly on an individual basis and was often purchased by relatives at home and sent out to their loved ones at the front. The armour shown here was manufactured by the County Chemical Company of Birmingham and weighed six pounds. It is made of multiple layers of silk and fabric and sandwiched within a fabric waistcoat. The pockets at the front of the garment allowed the wearer to carry grenades or ammunition.