The Western Front Flashcards
1914 - 1918
What is the Western Front
British fought mainly on the Western Front in 4 significant locations:
1. Ypres (1915)
2. Somme (1916)
3. Arras (1917)
4. Cambrai (1917)
Describe Ypres
- 1915, in Belgium
- Ypres was on route to the Dunkirk and Calais channel that provided the English supplies (equipment, more soldiers and food). This needed to be defended so the English were reserved there.
- Germans were on a higher ground to the English so were able to see English movement and defences.
- 2nd Battle of Ypres Germans first gas attack challenging medical services.
- Grounds were flooded and soggy making it hard for stretcher bearers to transport.
Describe Somme
1916
The most notorious battle in ww1 as there were 400,000 casualties in total, on the first day there were 60,000 casualties and 20,000 of them dead.
Medical services were pressured to rapidly improve because of this (prevent further casualties and treat others)
Tanks were also used for transport but made the grounds uneven - became harder to transport and would take longer to treat the next wounded.
Describe Arras
1917, France
New Zealand and British soldiers build a network of tunnels for soldier accommodation and an underground hospital making it easier so stretcher barriers don’t have to cross no mans land or during battle.
Describe Cambrai
Late 1917, France
Battle of Cambrai - British brought tanks and used 420 of them. Not having enough footsoldiers for the tanks, lost their land as they had a little supply to defend.
5 Problems with Treating the Wounded
Bomb Dropping - Holes in the ground, difficult to get injured soldiers and walk on for stretcher bearers.
Stretcher Bearers - Had to get injured soldiers at night and couldn’t see, also had to get soldiers during the fighting risking their own injuries.
Ambulances - Horse drawn or motorised and would take a while to get the injured soldiers risking death before they even arrived.
Bacteria - Infection in wounds.
High Casualties - So many to help which made the process slower to help other wounded soldiers.
4 Main Illness
Trench Fever
Trench Foot
Dysentery
Shell Shock
Trench Fever (symptoms, cause and prevention)
Causes - Lice on clothes and bedding
Symptoms - Shivering, joint pain, headaches
Prevention - Lit match against clothing, disinfecting clothing and bedding, picking lice louse-repellent gel was given to some soldiers to put on their clothes and bodie
over crowding didn’t help - hygiene
Trench Foot (cause, treatment and prevention)
Cause: Waterlogged trenches
Treatment: Amputation
Prevention: Whale oil, mechanical pumps, sock changes
Symptoms: Gangrene (decomposing tissue)
Dysentery (symptoms, cause)
Cause: Overcrowding and poor hygiene
Symptoms: Stomach pains, diarrhoea
Shell Shock (cause)
What it is - PTSD, psychological reaction to war. Overlooked and resulted in treatment in the front line or if no return court marshalled or killed. Cowardice.
Causes - Shell attacks
4 Weapons / 6 Causes
- Rapid fire rifles
- Machine guns
- Artillery
- Gas Attacks
- Shrapnell Shells
- Fertiliser (resulted in gangrene)
Wounds (9) (Causes)
Blood loss
Broken bones
Bullet wounds
Eye loss
Hearing loss
Head injuries
Shell shock
limb loss/amputation
Internal injuries
Gases Synopsis
Introduced on 1915, made by Fritz Haber. Gas masks developed better over the years because of this.
Normal symptoms included: taste loss, eye loss, smell loss, coughing, death and suffocation. Many casualties would take longer to sort making treatment a slower process.
3 Gases in WWI
Chlorine Gas 1915 - Suffocation and death
Phosgene 1915 - Quick death, Ypres
Mustard Gas 1917 - Death, suffocation, internal and external blisters, skin burns, no smell
5 Steps for treating the Wounded
- Stretcher bearers of 4 men go on no mans land with medical supplies during the night or battle breaks. Had to overcome the mud while carrying off.
- Regimental Aid Prep (RAP) Near the front line, like dugouts, light wounds.
- Dressing Stations would be behind the trenches, if more serious injuries use horse ambulances or motor ambulances to transport to CCS.
- Casualties Cleaning Station (CCS) First facility for soldier injuries. Would have X-ray machines, operating theatres, nurses, doctors, surgeons. If serious move to base hospitals by train or motor vehicles.
- Base Hospitals had civilians or seriously injured. Had X-ray departments, special centres for specific wounds e.g: gas attacks, operating theatres, nurses, doctors, surgeons.
What was the chain of evacuation
A route to attend to injured soldiers quicker made survival rate higher.
What was the RAMC
Royal Army Medical Corps
What was FANY
First Aid Nursing Yeomanry
- initially wanted Queen Alexandra Imperial Services for professional nurses but nurses fell short so accepted volunteers.
1915 used over 450 motor ambulances in France but still used horse as they were efficient for the mud and shells.
1917 Battle of Arras Hospitals
Had under ground hospitals in tunnels with 700 hospital ward beds. It was close to No Mans Land so it was effect to treat soldiers here.
What were trenches
1914 built from Belgium and France to Switzerland, so could defend claimed positions. in a zigzag formation to prevent direct firing on the front line, advanced over time.
Often blocked, created an issue for transporting wounded soldiers and treating them.
5 parts of a trench
Front line
Communication
Support
Reserve
Dugout
Front Line Trench
firing done here, closest to no mans land
Communication Trench
connected all trenches
Support Trench
where soldiers would retreat, behind the front line
Reserve Trench
soldiers would prep for counter attacks
