Case Study - WW1 Flashcards
Trenches in order and uses of them
Front line trenches - built zig zag for defence, built in sections so if one part was shelled wouldn’t affect the rest, about 50 yards from enemy trenches, nearest to front line
Support tench - behind the front line, hundred yards behind, men and supplies so they could immediately assists
Reserve tench - behind the support trench, held men and supplies if front was invaded
Communication trench - connects the trenches, enabled movement of messages and supplies
Features of trench ( I think mainly the frontline)
Had barbed wire - defensive, placed in no man’s land to slow down attacks
Had dug out - the front line ones can’t provide protection from a direct hit but still protected from shells, outside they were deep and well constructed so very protective
Parapet/ parados - sandbags for protection, elevation for protection
Duckboards - woods placed down for safe footing from the muddy ground
Also generally 2m deep
No man’s land
Narrow muddy, lots of dangerous shell holes /craters , barbed wires , land mines
Aseptic and antiseptic surgery
Antiseptic - developed by Joseph lister in 1865 - he used carbolic acid to stop germs from causing illness
Led to the development of aseptic surgery which removed germs before
It was still questioned because he wore a suit while surgery and carbolic acid dried out surgeons hands
Aseptic - washed face hands arms before entering
Surgical instrument were steam sterilised
Rubber gloves and gowns
First battle of Ypres
1914
Lost 50,000 kept control of ports
Hill 60
1915
Man made hill near Ypres captured by Germany,the height gave them advantage
British tunnelled under and placed mines to recapture it
Second battle of Ypres
1915
First use of chlorine gas
50,000 French troops lost
Somme
1916
20,000 soldiers dies on the first day - most fatal day in it war
The British used tanks were unreliable and slow
Arras and its underground hospital
1917
160,000 British and Canadian casualties
It was a hospital built in tunnels
Electricity and piped water
Had 700 spaces for beds
An operating theatre
Got abandoned after being shelled
Third battle of Ypres
245000 casualties from British but they gained 7 miles and won the battle
Rainy weather so the ground was really waterlogged
Germans on salient - surrounded British on 3 sides also had the upper ground
Cambrai
1917
first effective use of tanks could move over barbed wire and machine guns
British won because of this
X rays
Didn’t understand the risks of radiation people would lose hair and risk burns
Hard to move
Medical conditions on trenches
Trench fever- from body lice! treated by creating bath houses disinfecting bedding and uniforms, it also caused flulike symptoms
Trench foot -mud and water, treated with whale blubber routine dry sock and feet checks, caused swelling of feet or gangrene
Gas gangrene - caused by open wounds
Gas builds up in wound, treated by amputations
Shell shuck, psychological damages shaking tiredness, headaches,
Gas attacks - chlorine/mustard/ phosgene! Burning skin, suffocation, fear. Gas masks made 1915
Shrapnel- piece of metal would hit the body taken further and cloth with it, Brodie helmets made to protect head
Chain of evacuation - stretcher beavers
(Care)
- go out at night to look for casualties and overcome mud in no man’s land
- four people per stretcher
- carry basic supplies like bandages
Regimental aid post
Aimed to get people back to fighting, didn’t treat serious injuries they went on the next stage
Immediate first aid
Located near front line (communication trenches dug outs etc)
Dressing station
Dealt with more serious injuries, staff from unit in RAMC (field ambulance)
Mobile ambulance ( not in the chain but helpful to place in here )
Horse drawn carriages at first but they were bumpy and often made worse, motor vehicles were better (find out why)
Casualty clearing stations
Triage - men divided into 3 groups, those who could go back to fighting, those who needed hospital treatment, no chance of survival
Set up near school near railways
Dealt with critical injuries
Treated by nurses and doctors, mobile x rays and hospital ward beds
Base hospitals
Near the coast so men could go back to Britain , had several wards and was far from the fighting
Divided into different wars depending on wounds allowing for experimentation
FANY
Ran field hospitals drove ambulances set up soup kitchens and troop canteens
Surgeries
Thomas split, kept lumps and joints straight, linked death from shrapnel leg wounds and bloodloss
Mobile X-rays, took several minutes and they had to keep still, couldn’t identify all objects
Blood transfusions x 9 negative sodium citrate and glucose to preserve blood, blood banks
Carol Dakin method - using sterilised salt solution with a tube on a wound, the wound kept open so constantly in solution
Plastic surgery - Harold gillies
