Lice are small and very unpleasant insects that accompany people wherever they go. Wars are not an exception, of course. Huge crowds of people who cannot take a shower or do their laundry make these tiny fellows feel really good. Indeed, an army is a kind of a restaurant for them.
Itching is definitely not the best thing infantrymen may face in their life, but it is the lesser evil. Lice carry diseases, and typhus fever is the deadliest one. A lice-infested army is always exposed to the risk of losing a significant number of soldiers even if they haven’t reached the battlefield yet. Unfortunately, that was what often happened.
Prevention measures against pediculosis, or head lice infestation, were always a piece of cake. Do not forget about personal hygiene, visit a doctor regularly, change clothes or at least expose probably infested clothes to intense heat, for example, to fire. Soldiers themselves were responsible for a significant part of the concerns. That is why prevention of lice infestation received much attention during both World Wars. You can see some posters created to support this uneasy fight below.
![On the left, World War I-era poster, created by the American unit of the Red Cross to support the fight against outbreaks of pediculosis:” Also known as “Grey Backs”, “Seam Squirrels”, “Boches”, and … (deleted by the Censor). They are grey. They are bloodsuckers. They live in blankets and clothes …, and you will be an UNPOPULAR candidate for a hospital”. On the right, poster, published in London by some Jewish Victims of World War I Support Foundation. The poster was created to support the fight against lice and typhus they spread around - Highlights for Warspot: eternal companions of soldiers | Warspot.net](articles/pictures/000/003/331/content/01-3ec4c25bb5528cf32acf292c5bf86daf-27680e884e00c3331d5ef14313312de0.jpg)
On the right, poster, published in London by some Jewish Victims of World War I Support Foundation. The poster was created to support the fight against lice and typhus they spread around
![Two Soviet posters from 1919 — 1920 depicting the same idea in easy and illustrative graphical form:“ Louse and Dead are as thick as thieves. Kill lice carrying diseases!” “The Red Army crushed the With vermin – Yudenich, Denikin, Kolchak. And now, a new enemy, the body louse, is attacking. Comrades! Let’s defeat the enemy! Let’s kill the louse!” - Highlights for Warspot: eternal companions of soldiers | Warspot.net](articles/pictures/000/003/332/content/02-45dc4b820e5a68a62902778e450cb9ef-68a7ba6a23b46bc01db6c711799581e3.jpg)
![On the left, Soviet poster in Ukrainian, published in 1919 – 1920 in Kyiv:“ Lice live in the mud, lice carry typhus that is sure death. Keep yourself clean and prevent lice from spreading”. On the right, the British World War II poster:” How is it spread? Lice. Were do lice come from?” - Highlights for Warspot: eternal companions of soldiers | Warspot.net](articles/pictures/000/003/333/content/03-e9cc41924af16e027c4fe48f4f312f83-d856fbb00a9424f5cd384fd0b2be2720.jpg)
On the right, the British World War II poster:” How is it spread? Lice. Were do lice come from?”
![Two British World War II posters supporting the importance of personal hygiene and explaining that lice go hand-in-hand with typhus - Highlights for Warspot: eternal companions of soldiers | Warspot.net](articles/pictures/000/003/334/content/04-4945771e9f032b85922f486b929208d2-227cd812e174e8292fd51bbaf012eb7c.jpg)
![On the left, USA army poster from World War II suggesting that soldiers wear impregnated clothing. Such clothing offers protection from lice and the diseases they carry. On the right, the poster says:“ Don’t let lice make a monkey out of you”. It offers to report immediately if you itch or find lice - Highlights for Warspot: eternal companions of soldiers | Warspot.net](articles/pictures/000/003/335/content/05-950db1d7ba55cfd14ccd252d40d9ac70-85af6856279837e0b16d5b6f4d0a44d6.jpg)
On the right, the poster says:“ Don’t let lice make a monkey out of you”. It offers to report immediately if you itch or find lice
![The American poster on the left recalls that typhus is spread by lice and offers to use louse powder. On the right, the poster issued in 1945 in Germany says: “Typhus! Kill lice or they will kill you”. - Highlights for Warspot: eternal companions of soldiers | Warspot.net](articles/pictures/000/003/336/content/06-b623e8ba8082d0ddc0af8d38948fcc42-6f0f9460d3c618ca6542818f834ec487.jpg)
On the right, the poster issued in 1945 in Germany says: “Typhus! Kill lice or they will kill you”.