Roles of soldiers & nurses Flashcards
How big was the British army at the start of WW1?
150,000 men (by contrast , Germany had 900,000 men).
What was Lord Kitchener able to persuade the government to do once it became clear WW1 would be fought using trench warfare?
Expand the army to 500,000 men.
How close did the British government get to meeting the target of expanding the army to 500,000 men?
The target was smashed. By the end of 1915, 2,466,719 men had volunteered to join the “new armies” known as “Kitchener’s Armies”.
What were the quality of the new recruits?
- some were very good
- some were younger than they should be (at least 18)
- some passed a medical examination when they should have failed
What was the Military Service Act (law) of 1916?
It introduced conscription (forced service) in Britain.
What were conscientious objectors?
Men who who refused conscription on moral or ethical grounds (they disagreed with the war).
What jobs did soldiers in the Army Service Corps have?
Non-combat. He either worked in a factory close to the French coast or had to travel to the frontline avoiding the heavy German guns to deliver supplies or bring back wounded soldiers.
What jobs did soldiers in the Army Ordnance Corps have?
Non-combat. They had to deal with supply and storage of weaponry. They had to provide maintenance both behind and in front of the frontline. They were often in harm’s way.
What jobs did soldiers in the Royal Artillery Gunners have?
They had to operate mortars that would fire heavy shells from the very back of the trench formation.
What jobs did Signallers have?
They had to lay field telephone cables across shell-ploughed battlefields.
What jobs did the infantry have?
They had to try and secure the enemy’s trenches.
What were the jobs of Special Companies?
To conduct poison gas attacks.
What jobs did sappers have?
To tunnel out into no-man’s land and plant mines.
What was the jobs of the RAMC?
They were medical workers within the army.
What was the job of the FANY?
They were nurses. At first, the British would not let them tend to soldiers but gradually they took over jobs such as driving ambulances.
