Shell Shock In World War 1
Introduction
The trenches of World War 1 are generally known as a fairly rough environment, but how far have people seen into what truly goes in such lifestyles? What the soldiers had to tolerate, mentally and physically, is rightly astonishing. Many soldiers have told stories and written journals of their personal struggle in the heat of trench warfare, eventually resulting in the creation of a vivid picture telling us of the dreaded life in the trenches. First hand experiences and secondary sources have surely told us a strong and enduring story.
The trenches - What they were and why they were employed
Trenches are long, narrow, frequently zigzagged, ditches in the ground supported by beams of wood. These trenches were employed in World War 1 because they owned qualities paving way for advantages towards the soldiers who used them.
The system used for the trenches was quite complicated. Many linking lines of trenches formed distinctive layers obtaining particular purposes. These layers consisted of;
No Man’s Land – The space before enemy lines. Given the name due to the …show more content…
substantially dangerous location.
Barbed wire entanglement – Barbed wire laid several rows deep to stop any attackers before they hit the front line trench.
Front line trench – First trench facing in the direction of the enemy’s line. The front line trench was prone to the most enemy fire. It was generally 2 and a half metres deep and 1.2 – 2 metres wide. Soldiers would stand on a fire stop built to enable men to see out of the trench. It was also used to climb onto No Man’s Land with.
Front line support trench – A complex structure of webbing that made its way outwards from the front line trench.
First support link trench – Centre of the layers. It runs adjacent from the front line trench. The support trench netted in between the two.
Artillery line – Where the big, heavy field guns were located and fired.
Roads to support lines and ammo dumps – Roads leading to crucial resources such as weapons, ammo and food. The WW1 battle sites that trenches were dug in
The Western Front was the home to the most prominent trenches. On September 15, 1914, the first trenches were dug in the Western Front. Both Allies and German forces were using the sophisticated trench system along the terrains of the North Sea coast of Belgium, southward through France. The systems ran through multiple French towns know as Soissons, Reims Verdun, St Mihiel and Nancy. The system finally reached its southernmost point in Alsace, at the Swiss border. In total, the trenches built during World War 1 laid end-to-end would stretch some 40 000km.
The range of landscapes along the Western Front battlefields include terrains such as; sand, clay, chalk and rock, rivers, canals, valleys and cliffs, ridges and mountains, plains, forests and swamps.
The conditions for the soldiers in WW1 trenches
Harsh conditions dominated a soldier’s life throughout World War 1 in the trenches. There was nothing appealing about the trenches, that’s apart from the fact that it was better below ground than above ground in enemy sight. Dead bodies were scattered along the muddy battle stations. If not, they were buried nearby. The toilets, or latrines (Sensuous, Das S, 2011), often overflowed into the trenches producing an unsanitary environment. An infestation of disease spreading rats overwhelmed the trenches. Lice also tormented the soldiers on a daily basis.
“Everything visible or audible or tangible to the senses touch, smell, and perception is ugly beyond imagination”. (As written by W. Beach Thomas after spending five months at the Battle of Somme, 1916). This piece is an example of the thoughts from soldiers returning from the unforgivable life in the trenches. He was one of the few who decided to share his story.
Hygiene was an enormous problem, however food didn’t compensate. A bland variety of bread, cheese, tea, jam, salt and some vegetables was the meal for a day when not served food from the field kitchens. Hot food from field kitchens was considered a luxury since getting it could be impossible when a battle was imminent or in full flow. Unfortunately food nor hygiene was a pleasurable aspect of the trench onslaught.
The medical aid that was available in the trenches of WW1
Soldiers in the trenches were prone to injury and disease so constant medical aid was required for the soldiers. Women volunteers and men cared for the injured and ill in battlefield hospitals.
Thousands of men lost limbs and lives in the trenches, so it was extremely hard to prevent men from exposure to infection. Further amplification of diseases was hard to prevent as spreading of disease was quick in the crowded hospitals and battlefield doctors were slow to understand the link between the infections and the packs of people. All of this made for frantic aid in hospitals.
Advances in some medical techniques kept pace with the mass destruction of war though. Doctors developed and practised new ways to treat severe cases of tissue damage, burns and contagious disease. Blood transfusions began to get given under battlefield conditions. Medical staff eventually grew used to the rigours of the Western Front supplying medical aid when needed. Medical supplements were issued to soldiers, such as morphine and bandages, however they weren’t purposed for life-threatening injury treatment but pain relief for example. Though medical aid did improve throughout the war, it still didn’t supply a reassuring quality.
The artillery used in trench warfare
The artillery of World War 1 was a prerequisite for battlefield success. Artillery cannons, some known as field guns, supplied a bombardment in range of No Man’s Land and possibly further. These big chunks of metal had a long barrel and were portable, pulled by a military truck. Mortars and big, long range German Howitzers also allowed for indirect fire. But field guns required a line of sight or a direct fire path. The artillery was the number one threat to infantry due to the hurled fragmentation high explosive shells. Infantry in the trenches feared these cannons unsurprisingly. When used effectively, a creeping barrage (array of artillery shell fire) could be fatal to a clutter of infantry giving artillery the big ruthless name.
Shell-shock, what it is and how men obtained it
Shell shock was a term coined to describe the reaction of some soldiers in World War 1 to the trauma of battle.
Shell shock was a reaction to the intensity of the bombardment and fighting from the war, commonly formed from the trenches.
Early symptoms of shell shock included tiredness, irritability, giddiness, lack of concentration and headaches (Spartacus Education, 2015). Authorities first ignored the men when they had shell shock even when the men finally suffered mental breakdowns making it impossible for them to remain on the front line. Some people came to the conclusion that the soldiers condition was caused by the enemy’s artillery. These doctors argue that a bursting shell creates a vacuum, and when the air rushes into this vacuum it disturbs the cerebro-spinal fluid and this can upset the working of the brain (Simikin, J,
2015).
Conclusion
It has come obvious that the trenches of World War 1 were unforgiving and ruthless through the deaths of thousands and the depth of horror that the soldiers faced. Who participated in such a brutal war have been effected for a lifetime. The legacy that those men have created will be hard to forget as life in such hell cannot be forgotten easily. Life in the European trenches affected the soldiers in a way that they personally prefer not to reveal. This means that their lives are forever changed, and such a hiccup in their generation marks a time that has stayed solemn to this day.
The trenches of World War 1 are generally known as a fairly rough environment, but how far have people seen into what truly goes in such lifestyles? What the soldiers had to tolerate, mentally and physically, is rightly astonishing. Many soldiers have told stories and written journals of their personal struggle in the heat of trench warfare, eventually resulting in the creation of a vivid picture telling us of the dreaded life in the trenches. First hand experiences and secondary sources have surely told us a strong and enduring story.
The trenches - What they were and why they were employed
Trenches are long, narrow, frequently zigzagged, ditches in the ground supported by beams of wood. These trenches were employed in World War 1 because they owned qualities paving way for advantages towards the soldiers who used them.
The system used for the trenches was quite complicated. Many linking lines of trenches formed distinctive layers obtaining particular purposes. These layers consisted of;
No Man’s Land – The space before enemy lines. Given the name due to the …show more content…
substantially dangerous location.
Barbed wire entanglement – Barbed wire laid several rows deep to stop any attackers before they hit the front line trench.
Front line trench – First trench facing in the direction of the enemy’s line. The front line trench was prone to the most enemy fire. It was generally 2 and a half metres deep and 1.2 – 2 metres wide. Soldiers would stand on a fire stop built to enable men to see out of the trench. It was also used to climb onto No Man’s Land with.
Front line support trench – A complex structure of webbing that made its way outwards from the front line trench.
First support link trench – Centre of the layers. It runs adjacent from the front line trench. The support trench netted in between the two.
Artillery line – Where the big, heavy field guns were located and fired.
Roads to support lines and ammo dumps – Roads leading to crucial resources such as weapons, ammo and food. The WW1 battle sites that trenches were dug in
The Western Front was the home to the most prominent trenches. On September 15, 1914, the first trenches were dug in the Western Front. Both Allies and German forces were using the sophisticated trench system along the terrains of the North Sea coast of Belgium, southward through France. The systems ran through multiple French towns know as Soissons, Reims Verdun, St Mihiel and Nancy. The system finally reached its southernmost point in Alsace, at the Swiss border. In total, the trenches built during World War 1 laid end-to-end would stretch some 40 000km.
The range of landscapes along the Western Front battlefields include terrains such as; sand, clay, chalk and rock, rivers, canals, valleys and cliffs, ridges and mountains, plains, forests and swamps.
The conditions for the soldiers in WW1 trenches
Harsh conditions dominated a soldier’s life throughout World War 1 in the trenches. There was nothing appealing about the trenches, that’s apart from the fact that it was better below ground than above ground in enemy sight. Dead bodies were scattered along the muddy battle stations. If not, they were buried nearby. The toilets, or latrines (Sensuous, Das S, 2011), often overflowed into the trenches producing an unsanitary environment. An infestation of disease spreading rats overwhelmed the trenches. Lice also tormented the soldiers on a daily basis.
“Everything visible or audible or tangible to the senses touch, smell, and perception is ugly beyond imagination”. (As written by W. Beach Thomas after spending five months at the Battle of Somme, 1916). This piece is an example of the thoughts from soldiers returning from the unforgivable life in the trenches. He was one of the few who decided to share his story.
Hygiene was an enormous problem, however food didn’t compensate. A bland variety of bread, cheese, tea, jam, salt and some vegetables was the meal for a day when not served food from the field kitchens. Hot food from field kitchens was considered a luxury since getting it could be impossible when a battle was imminent or in full flow. Unfortunately food nor hygiene was a pleasurable aspect of the trench onslaught.
The medical aid that was available in the trenches of WW1
Soldiers in the trenches were prone to injury and disease so constant medical aid was required for the soldiers. Women volunteers and men cared for the injured and ill in battlefield hospitals.
Thousands of men lost limbs and lives in the trenches, so it was extremely hard to prevent men from exposure to infection. Further amplification of diseases was hard to prevent as spreading of disease was quick in the crowded hospitals and battlefield doctors were slow to understand the link between the infections and the packs of people. All of this made for frantic aid in hospitals.
Advances in some medical techniques kept pace with the mass destruction of war though. Doctors developed and practised new ways to treat severe cases of tissue damage, burns and contagious disease. Blood transfusions began to get given under battlefield conditions. Medical staff eventually grew used to the rigours of the Western Front supplying medical aid when needed. Medical supplements were issued to soldiers, such as morphine and bandages, however they weren’t purposed for life-threatening injury treatment but pain relief for example. Though medical aid did improve throughout the war, it still didn’t supply a reassuring quality.
The artillery used in trench warfare
The artillery of World War 1 was a prerequisite for battlefield success. Artillery cannons, some known as field guns, supplied a bombardment in range of No Man’s Land and possibly further. These big chunks of metal had a long barrel and were portable, pulled by a military truck. Mortars and big, long range German Howitzers also allowed for indirect fire. But field guns required a line of sight or a direct fire path. The artillery was the number one threat to infantry due to the hurled fragmentation high explosive shells. Infantry in the trenches feared these cannons unsurprisingly. When used effectively, a creeping barrage (array of artillery shell fire) could be fatal to a clutter of infantry giving artillery the big ruthless name.
Shell-shock, what it is and how men obtained it
Shell shock was a term coined to describe the reaction of some soldiers in World War 1 to the trauma of battle.
Shell shock was a reaction to the intensity of the bombardment and fighting from the war, commonly formed from the trenches.
Early symptoms of shell shock included tiredness, irritability, giddiness, lack of concentration and headaches (Spartacus Education, 2015). Authorities first ignored the men when they had shell shock even when the men finally suffered mental breakdowns making it impossible for them to remain on the front line. Some people came to the conclusion that the soldiers condition was caused by the enemy’s artillery. These doctors argue that a bursting shell creates a vacuum, and when the air rushes into this vacuum it disturbs the cerebro-spinal fluid and this can upset the working of the brain (Simikin, J,
2015).
Conclusion
It has come obvious that the trenches of World War 1 were unforgiving and ruthless through the deaths of thousands and the depth of horror that the soldiers faced. Who participated in such a brutal war have been effected for a lifetime. The legacy that those men have created will be hard to forget as life in such hell cannot be forgotten easily. Life in the European trenches affected the soldiers in a way that they personally prefer not to reveal. This means that their lives are forever changed, and such a hiccup in their generation marks a time that has stayed solemn to this day.