facts - medicine: the western front

Question 1

1st chain of evacuation

Answer 1

Regimental Aid Post:
close to the front line. stretcher bearers would administer first aid then bring the patient to them.
light wounds were treated.

Question 2

2nd chain of evacuation

Answer 2

field ambulance:
mobile medical unit. set up dressing stations. a mile away from the front line. in derelict buildings dugouts or tents. serious cases went straight to ccs

Question 3

3rd chain of evacuation

Answer 3

casualty clearing stations:
larger and better equipped. buildings miles away from the front line. doctors and nurses who prioritised life threatening injuries to men who had a chance of survival.

Question 4

4th chain of evacuation

Answer 4

base hospitals:
situated near ports on the coast. medical staff including specialist doctors. patients could stay for some time before returning to the front or being sent home for further treatment.

Question 5

RAMC

Answer 5

royal army medical corps

Question 6

fany

Answer 6

first aid nursing yeomanry

Question 7

underground hospitals

Answer 7

hospital very close to the front line. in the tunnels underneath the town. space for 700 beds an operating theatre and mortuary. supplied running water and electricity

Question 8

gas attacks

Answer 8

not a major cause of death. they mostly caused temporary blindness, coughing and burns. gas masks were given in july 1915

Question 9

head injuries

Answer 9

unexpectedly common, mostly caused by shrapnel. solider soft cops replaced with brodie helmets which reduce head wounds

Question 10

shell shock

Answer 10

wide range of symptoms including total mental breakdowns. accused of cowardice. many treated at the front but some were evacuated to british hospitals

Question 11

trench fever

Answer 11

flu-like symptoms which could last months and keep reoccurring. cause by life so troops were deloused

Question 12

trench foot

Answer 12

cause by standing in waterlogged trenches. could lead to gangrene. treated with amputation. troops ived whale oil and spare socks pumps were used to drain trenches and duckboards added to prevent.

Question 13

bullets

Answer 13

from rifles and machine guns. could penetrate organs and fracture bones

Question 14

high explosive chills and shrapnel

Answer 14

responsible for most deaths and injuries removing limbs and causeing major internal injuries

Question 15

first battle of ypres

Answer 15

the british managed to hold on to ypres which was vital in maintaining access and control of the english channel ports but the germans gained ground

Question 16

battle on hill 60

Answer 16

the british tunnelled into and under the hill and exploded five mines from the tunnels which enabled them to take the hill

Question 17

second battle of ypres

Answer 17

the germans made very slight gains towards ypres. the battle was notable as being the first time chlorine gas was used. it was first used by the germans.

Question 18

the somme

Answer 18

notable for the extremely high casualties on both sides the battles on both side dd of the river somme saw two new strategies by the british - the creeping barrage and the first use of tanks - but these had little impact

Question 19

arras

Answer 19

the british linked and expanded the underground tunnels, quarries and caves for the shelter and movement of the troops. the tunnels were used to launch the battle which was initially successful but ended with little progress and high numbers of casualties on both sides.

Question 20

cambrai

Answer 20

the battle was notable for the first large-scale use tanks which were successful but were not backed up so the british were forced back

Question 21

third battle of ypres

Answer 21

the British used a creeping barrage to make small gains to break out the ypres salient. the awful wether left the ground waterlogged and many drowned.

Question 22

trenches

Answer 22

hurriedly dug by troops. constantly maintained and improved.