My grandfather's gaiters were often seen in very old photos and were worn by many people, especially horseman in the WWI. I have also seen pictures of Turkish officers in the WWI wearing the same ones. By the way, my grandfather fought in the WWI in the Balkans and the Dardanelles, but I don't believe with this gaiters. These gaiters must have been in service very often because you can still buy used ones in Germany.