The name Blue Puttees refers the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, who gallantly fought during WWI on behalf of Britain Newfoundland at this time was not a province of Canada, but still a colony of Britain. The name "blue puttees" comes from the blue cotton wraps the soldiers wore around their ankles. During the Battle of Somme at a place called Beaumont-Hamel, 801--men from the Newfoundland Regiment (Blue Puttees) went over-the-top.....Only 68 men survived....Sadly, a generation of Newfoundland's young men made the ultimate sacrifice....The Newfoundland Regiment was rebuilt and went on to fight at Monchy and Cambrai and would be granted the title of Royal in recognition of its conduct in the defense of Masnieres. The Royal Newfoundland Regiment served with honour and distinction. It was and is a credit to the people of Newfoundland and Canada
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Puttees were long strips of cloth (typically some kind of durable fabric) worn by the soldiers of some nations from roughly 1900-1950. Notable users included the American Expeditionary Force and the British Army during World War II and the Chinese Nationalists Puttees helped to keep mud, dirt, and water from entering the shoes of soldiers. They were eventually replaced in favor of gaiters, military leggings, and combat boots
Puttees were worn to protect the legs from superficial damage from brambles, spent ammunition and hidden obstacles. They were worn so as to keep the trouser bottoms contained so as not to cause tripping. They also kept sand and pebbles out of the boots. They replaced gaiters which were leather versions of the same item. Unfortunately, leather gaiters were stiff and restricted mobility. Puttees on the other hand were cheaper and provided the kind of protection that foot soldiers required. To this day, modern soldiers wear a type of puttee modeled after the short puttees of the 2nd world war. They are worn with KD shorts and worn for looks to transition the boot to the knee sock.
They never did wear anklets They wore puttees to keep dirt out of their boots
During the Civil War, Union soldiers wore blue uniforms and were thus Blue Bellies by the Confederate soldiers.
I'm sorry You must be mistaken, there isn't any blue on the Canadian Flag. Do you mean the blue colour on one of the provinces in Canada?