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A man was thinking of selling his late grandfathers military sword on Flog It on tv recently & the dealer in conversation said that the men could grow a mustache but not a beard & my brother & I are wondering why this was. As it's a pondering question that won't leave me alone.

2007-11-02 11:03:41 · 2 answers · asked by C4 1 in Arts & Humanities Other - Arts & Humanities

2 answers

Poison gas, it seems.

"Following World War I, beards fell out of vogue. There are several theories as to why the military began shaving beards. When World War I broke out in the 1910s, the use of chemical weapons necessitated that soldiers shave their beards so that gas masks could seal over their faces."

2007-11-02 11:10:00 · answer #1 · answered by johnslat 7 · 0 0

Three reasons...first, uniformity of appearnce. Second, hygiene (especially lice and other parasites.) Third, a beard would prevent proper functioning of a gas mask. But sailors were permitted beards. Soldiers and marines were not.

2007-11-03 17:35:28 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

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