Also based on the world situation in 1939 it was hardly “cute”. Since it’s intended as a defensive measure it can hardly be called “combat gear” now can it? Especially since the British government issued them to civilians about this same period of time http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.....smasks.htm

Getting back to the point, mustard gas had been used against soldiers and civilians (and Red Cross workers) by the Italians in Abyssinia http://www.search.com/referenc.....Atrocities and http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/si.....tml/5RUHGM

That was really cute. I’ll bet the civilians could have used some “combat gear” then as well.

From http://www.cbwinfo.com/Chemical/Blister/HD.shtml

The combatants in World War II expected chemical weapons to be used and stockpiled them accordingly. Mustard gas had the distinction of being the most heavily stockpiled agent of World War II. Between 1939 and 1945, the British produced 40,719 tons of mustard gas, the Soviets at least 77,400 tons, and the Americans over 87,000 tons. Even the Germans, the sole possessors of nerve agents, intended to use it in their chemical arsenal – during the Third Reich’s span of existence they produced over 27,597 tons of sulfur mustard.