Ww1 Flashcards
What does the BEF stand for and what is it?
British expeditionary force
A trained permanent army
When was the first battle of Ypres?
October - November 1914
When was the second battle of Ypres?
April - may 1915
When was Gallipoli landings
1915 august
When was the battle of verdun
February - December 1916
When was the battle of the Somme
July - November 1916
When was the battle of arras
April - may 1917
When was the third battle of Ypres
July - November 1917
When was the battle of Cambrai
November - December 1917
When was the German spring offensive
Spring 1918
What happened in the first battle of Ypres
- British troops stopped German army capturing ports (Calais)
So reinforcement could keep arriving from Britain
Where did the trenches stretch in the first battle of Ypres
Switzerland to the English Channel
What happened at the second battle of Ypres
Germans attacked using chlorine gas for the first time
They failed to capture Ypres
How many allied casualties where there in the second battle of Ypres
60,000
How many German casualties were there in the second battle of Ypres
35,000
What happened at the Gallipoli landings (aim..)
British, Australian, New Zealand forces landed at Gallipoli (turkey)
With the aim to delete turkey (germans ally)
Failed with high casualties
What happened at the battle of verdun
German forces attacked french army
How many french soldiers were killed at the battle of verdun
160,000
What was the aim of the battle of the Somme
The British and french launched major attack
With the aim to force Germany to move troops away from verdun to Somme to relive pressure on french
What were the British casualties on the first day of the battle of the Somme
60,000
What were the British casualties by the end of the battle of the Somme
400,000
Was the battle of the Somme successful and why
Yes
British force gained 5 miles of land
When did the US enter the war
April 1917
What happened at the battle of arras
Allied attack on Germany
Some ground was captured initially but casualties high
What was the aim of the third battle of Ypres
Capture passchendale ridge near Ypres
What happened at the 3rd battle of Ypres
British + allies launched a major attack to stop Germans
German defences where very strong
It was muddy = 245000 casualties
When was the Russian revolution
October 1917
What is significant about the battle of cambrai
It was the first time the GB army used a large number of tanks to attack German trenches
Was the battle of Cambria successful
Initial success but the forced back
How many British casualties were in the battle of cambrai
40,000
What was the German spring offensive + aim
German army = major attack along 50 mile front
Aim= bring war to end before america arrived + Germans ran out of food
Was the German spring offensive successfully and why
Successful at first -200,000 GB casualties
However the German army could not make a complete breakthrough
What happened in the final months of the war
Allied army - reinforced by fresh UStroops
They broke through German lines + pushed back
Germany had no resources left to fight
Was the first battle of Ypres a failure or a success + why
Fail - gb lost 50,000 men and German army now surrounded Ypres
Success - Calais defended
Was the mines at hill 60 a fail or a success + why
Success - gained hill 60 (man made hill) by blowing the top of
So British could take strategically important position
Was the second battle of Ypres a fail or a success + why
Fail- bg lost 59,000 men
Germans move 2 miles closer to Ypres
Was the battle of the Somme a fail or a success + why
Fail- large casualties
Was the battle of arras a fail or a success + why
Success - appeared successfully in first few days
Advanced 8 miles
Slowed
No further progress
Was the mines at hill 60 a fail or a success + why
Success - gb moved edge of salient back 7 miles
Fail- 245,000 gb casualties
Was the battle of cambrai a fail or a success + why
Successful- 500 tanks used (easily moved across barbed wire)
Machine guns effective
Less successful- only half of the guns where operational on the second day
How long did soldiers spend there time away from trenches (%)
45%
Where was the communication trench
Behind firing lines
Ran between other trenches (linked firing line with command support reserve)
What were saps (trenches)
Small trenches that pushed out into no mans land
How long did soldiers spend at the front line trench (%)
15%
What happens at the front line trench
Attacks made from here - closest to the enemy
How long did soldiers spend at the support trench (%)
10%
What happened at the support trench
Behind front line
Troops could retreat here if the front line was under attack
Reserve trench
Behind support trench
Reserve troops could be mobilised for a counter attack if frontline was captured
How long did soldiers spend at the reserve trench (%)
20%
What was the function of the parados (trenches)
Stop bullets carrying onto next line of trenches
What was the function of the reveting (trenches)
Strengthens sides with wood / netting / corrugated iron
What was the function of the duck board (trenches)
Stop soldiers standing on wet floors
What was the function of the fire step (trenches)
Allow men to fire weapons from trenches
What was the function of the parapet (trenches)
Front side (bullet proof)
Lined with wooden planks
Netting
Sandbags
What was the function of the barbed wire (trenches)
Harder for enemy to attack head on
What Illnesses were common in the trenches
Trench fever
Trench foot
Shell shock
Dysentery
Frostbite
What was the cause of trench fever
Call cramped conditions
It’s spread quickly as blankets are infested with lice (grey backs)

One medical officer on the Somme found what percentage of men have inspected lice?
75%
What is trench fever also known as
PUO
What are the symptoms of trench fever
Flu like symptoms headaches shivering pain in joints which last five days
How bad was trench fever and recovery time
Sometimes it was so bad the men were sent out the army
Up to 12 weeks to recover and up to 2 months in hospital
By January 1915 what fraction men were lost a trench foot
1/6
What was the cause of trench foot
Wearing tight wet boots for too long
cold wet winter of 1914 - 15 made it more common

What were the two stages of trench foot
The first stage was painful swollen feet
The second stage we when the blood flow got cut off and some develop gangrene (lack of blood flow caused body flesh to die)

How could trench foot kill
The developed gangrene could spread around the body
What percent of all casualties was caused by shellshock
28%
Causes of shellshock
Explosion shocked CNS causing brain damage
An emotional disorder caused by traumatic trench environments of death destruction and noise
What are the symptoms of shellshock
Tiredness hearing loss headaches nightmares loss of speech
In 1916 how many cases of shellshock were there in six months
16000
How many cases of shellshock were recorded
80,000
In 1917 what was the new Medical term to be given to shellshock
NYDN
Not yet diagnose nervous
What was the cause of dysentery
Lack of sanitation
Flooding caused toilets dug in trenches to overflow spreading bacteria
Symptoms of dysentery
Diarrhoea dehydration
What was the cause of frostbite
Little shelter during the winter
In the winter 1914 - 15 How many cases of frostbite were there 
6000
What did frostbite lead to
Lead to numbness which led to painfull blistering which led to gangrene as flesh began to die
What was responsible for 60% of the wounds
Explosives and shells
Causes of wounds
Shrapnel
shell explosions
What did shrapnel wound
Arms and legs
Horrific facial injuries leaving without a jaw nose or ears 
What percentage of wounds were bullets responsible for
40%
How did the machine gun bullet design develop to cause more damage
They developed a more pointed bullet which would cause further damage and further injury the machine guns could also now fire 450 rounds a minute
What did machine guns cause (wounds)
Break of major bones and piercer vital organs
At the start of the war what was the survival rate for blood loss
20%
What protection from head injuries were there at the start of the war
Men only wore soft leather so there were many head injuries which was the least protective part in the trenches
Causes of infection
On the battle of the Western front it was fought on farmland therefore bullets and shrapnel that Pierce soldiers would carry soil and manure into the wound causing infection
This bacteria will include tetanus and gas gangrene
Men would also become infected as they had to lay in mud for hours
Why was infection dangerous
Many men recovered from initial injuries but later died from infection even minor injuries were risk of fatal infection
What is gas gangrene
The most dangerous bacteria surgeons had little experience in dealing and therefore there were many deaths in early stages the infections had a sweet smell and swollen then they turned white then green and a bubbling sound when pressed
What percentage of British Soldiers died in gas attacks
Fewer than 5%
When was the first deadly gas attack - who and what gas
Second battle of Ypres 1915
Germans used chlorine gas 
Hundreds of soldiers died
What did chlorine gas cause
Suffocation
What did phosgene gas cause
Similar effects to chlorine gas (suffocation) but faster
What was Caused by mustard gas and when was it used
First used by Germans in 1917 and calls are burning internal external blistering breathing difficulties and blindness
What did soldiers from New Zealand in North England do before the Battle of Arras
They dug a network of tunnels beneath the ground of Arras
Chalky earth made totally easy they were rooms with running water and electricity commendation for soldiers are sleeping in a hospital with 700 beds there was also an operating theatre built tunnels are use for shelter from artillery fire and the turtles head 24,000 troops before the battle
3 main types of sources
First hand accounts
Images and pictures
Documents
Examples of images and picture sources
Maps
Paintings
Diagrams
Photos
Examples of document sources
Record collections
Medical hero also
Official records
Examples of firsthand account sources
Diaries of soldiers
Letters
Advantages and disadvantages of using paintings as a source
A- visual for investigations into conditions
D- made in commemoration
Advantages and disadvantages of using photos as a source
A- gives a snapshot of a historic site at a particular time
D- doesnt always tell the whole story
Advantages and disadvantages of using
Maps as a source
A- shows how a site was laid out + how it worked
Advantages and disadvantages of using official records as a source as a source
A- statistics or factual information, dated
D- one-sided, not always obvious who wrote them
Advantages and disadvantages of using letters as a source
A- dated,
D- censored by army, written for an audience
Advantages and disadvantages of using diaries as a source
A- not censored, dates, no reason to lie
D, can be influenced by emotion at the time
Who discovered x-rays and when
Wilhelm röntegen
1895
How did WR discover x rays
Noticed- cathode ray in test tube were lighting on a far wall even though he had coved it in place paper
He found it could also pass through wood rubber and human flesh but not bone or metal
What was the impact of the x-ray discovery
Immediate
Within 6 months hospitals including the London royal hospital were using them to identify problems
What was the chain of evacuation
A process of moving injured soldiers to get medical treatment
After stretcher bearers brought soldiers from the front line what where the 4 main stages
Regimental act
Dressing stations
Casualty clearing stations
Base hospitals
Where were the regimental aid posts
Nearest to the trenches
Where did the soldiers go if they required more than just first aid
Casualty clearing stations
What was the location of the dressing stations and why
Further back but still close enough to the trenches for wounded to walk or be carried
Location of base hospitals and why
Far from trenches
Near coast so could be transported home if necessary
What was carried on the stretcher bearers
Basic medical supplies
Bandages and morphine
What was the role of the stretcher bearers
Recovered the dead and wounded
What difficulties did stretcher bearers face in transporting the wounded
Had to deal with mud + shell crates + crowded twisting trenches
What was the issue with the number of stretcher bearers
16 bearers per battalion of up to a thousand soldiers
4 men to carry one (6-8 in mud)
Often not enough bearers
What was the location of the RAP (regimental aid post)
Very close to the front line (sometimes in firing trenches )
What was the role of the regimental Medical officer
Had to distinguish between the lightly wounded and those in need of medical attention
Would bandage and send men back to action
What where the difficulties working in the regimental aid post
Poorly lit tunnels under fire
Only one medical officer for a team of 30 orderlies and stretcher bearers
What was the location of the field ambulance and dressing stations (ADS)
Set up dressing stations in tents or derelict buildings (behind front line)
Who were the field ambulance staff
Large mobile medical unit
Medical officers support staff + some nurses from 1915
What is triage
The system of splitting the wounded into groups according to who needs immediate attention,
What wa s the problem with the number of casualties in field ambulance and dressing stations
Could deal with around 159 men but during bigger wars were more
What was the location of casualty clearing stations
7-12 miles from fighting - large tents, huts or schools
What were the staff and facilities at the casualty clearing stations
Around 7 doctors with nursing and other staff
Contained operating theatres, mobile x-ray machines, wards with beds for around 50, kitchens, toilets, accommodation
How many casualties where there in casualty clearing stations
Deal with thousands at a time - often has far more in first two years of the war
Location and of base hospitals
Civilian hospitals or large converted buildings
Transportation to the base hospitals
Near railways so patients could be moved quickly, arrived by motor ambulance, train or even by barge along canals
Facilities at base hospitals
Could take up to 25000 patients, had operating theatres , labs, x-ray department, some specialists centres for treating specific problems
What was the destination of soldiers after treatment in base hospitals
Sent back to England, others sent to convalescent wards or return to fighting
What were the facilities in the underground hospital at arras
Space for 700
Operating theatre, rest stations for stretcher bearers , mortuary
Had electricity’s d piped water
When was the evacuation route more effective and why
More effective in 1918 than 1914 as in 1914 there were issues such as higher casualty numbers than expected + no motor ambulances
What improvements where made to the evacuation route
250 motor ambulances
Ambulance train holding 1800 casualties
Ambulance barges (river Somme)
What evidence that the evacuation route was a success was there
7000 casualties from 3 days during the battle of arras successfully treated as they had enough staff and supplies
Chain of evacuation allowed what % of casualties to be treated and return to fight
67%
What does RAMC stand for
Royal army medical Corps
What jobs did the RAMC do
Organised + provided medical care
(Stretcher bearers, surgeons ect.)
What was the responsibility of the RAMC
Keep men healthy through good sanitation
Treated wounded + sick
How did the RAMC cope with the scale of the war
They recruited more men to help
9000 in 1914
12x to 113,000 by 1918
More recruited by raising age at which doctors could serve to 45
What does FANY stand for
First aid nursing yeomanry
What does VAD stand for
Volunteer aid detachment
How did the number of queen Alexander nurses increase through the war + why
300 in 1914 but 10,000 by end of war
British army only accepted QAN + turned away volunteer nurses
The number of casualties changed and attitudes changes + 1000 of women were working
What were the responsibilities of the queen Alexander nurses
Varied work
Professional nursing in OT to scrubbing floors, coking and washing clothes
What where the responsibilities of the VAD
Middle to upper class women (volunteered)
Little experience scrubbed + cleaned
By 1917 doing more nursing work
When was FANY founded
1907
What were the FANY responsibilities
One unit ran the Calais ambulance convoy from 2nyears
22 drivers and 12 ambulances
Others carried supplies to front
Drove motorised kitchens
How many women helped volunteer as ambulance drivers for the FANY
500
Why was the work fo RAMC and nursing difficult due to new wounds
Machine guns more pointed so caused further damage, shrapnel wounded arms and legs and led to facial injuries , shell blasts causes concussions
Why was the work fo RAMC and nursing difficult due to number of casualties
On first day of Somme almost 60,000 casualties so workload was harder on the,
Why was the work fo RAMC and nursing difficult due to terrain and working conditions
Overwhelmed
More medical posts set up to prepare for casualties
Bad muddy terrain
Description of the problem- infection
Many rooms are already infected when the soldiers reached operating theatres as a result of fragments on body clothing getting in the wound
Aseptic operating theatres were not enough for infection
Solutions/treatments developed -infection 
The early method was that Windsor Rushton carbolic lotion sewn Then wrapped in bandages soaked in carbolic acid
New anti-tetanus set up by end of 1914
There was still no cure to gas gangrene they would be dead in the day
How many great British soldiers got amputation
41,000
Important individual - infection
Antoine depage (Belgian doctor)
What did Antoine depage do
Helps with infection
Explored a wound and removed objects and all damaged tissue
Washed away and to decrease infection by cutting away or dead will damage tissue
It was done quickly and then stitch close but if any not removed infection will spread again
X-rays were used to make sure all shrapnel was removed
You also left the window open to air for 24 to 48 hours to check for bacteria under a microscope - If not infected closed
What percent of injuries to the head of caused by bullets and shrapnel
20%
Solutions/treatments developed - head injuries
X-rays were used to identify shrapnel and bullets
The number of head injuries meant surgeons could practice skills
Helmets - from a soft cap to a brodie steel helmet
The steel helmet made to protect head injuries reduced them by
80%
What did Harvey Cushing develop
New brain surgery techniques
Used magnets to remove shrapnel
Used local anaesthetic instead of general anaesthetic (ga inflated Brain + increased risks)
Men suffering wounds to legs at begging of the war had what % chance of survival
20%
What harm did bullets cause
Broken bones and pierced organs
(Blood loss + shock)
What were x-rays used for at the start of the war
Identified shell fragments + bullets
Find an accurate location
Find broken bones
At the start of the war what % of fractured femurs in trenches died and at the end of the war
80%
20%
What was the thomas splint
Strapped around leg before moved to protect from damage
What were the difficulties with x-rays
Couldn’t detect all objects in body (clothing driven in by shrapnel)
Wounded had to stay still for several mins during x-ray
Tubes in X-ray were fragile + overheated quick
X-rays only used one hour at a time (problem if lots of wounded)
How did they solve the problem of the x-ray machine only working for an hour then needing to rest
They had 3 machines working in rotation
British doctors transfused blood from one to another but it was …
Slow and not successful
What were the problems with blood transfusion
Slow
Not successful
Couldnt store blood without it clotting
Patient had to be connected to donor
What made the blood loss problem more urgent
Guns + explosives
What was the syringe cannula technique
Took blood from donor using a needle and syringe and transfused into patient quickly
In 1915 blood transfusions where pioneered by a Canadian doctor using indirect methords
Why use that methord
Stops patient going into shock
Blood transfusions where proved successful at base hospitals in 1915 by 1917 where were they used
In casualty clearing stations as a routine measure
What did Geoffrey Keynes design
Portable blood transfusions kit which provided blood transfusions close to front line
He also added a devise to regulate flow of blood in bottle to prevent clotting
Why were facial injuries dangerous
Caused infection and there was an abcenses of effective anaesthetic
What were skin grafts
Taking skin from another part of the body and putting it on the area of the wound
How many plastic surgery’s were carried out
11,000
What did the amount of facial injuries lead to (surgery wise)
Increased experience
In 1915 - 7 hospitals in France specialised for it
Who was Harold Gilles
Ear nose and throat surgeon
Where was Harold gillies sent and what did that lead to
Sent to western front in 1915
Saw head injuries causing severe disfigurement which led to interest in facial reconstruction
Where did men who required surgery go
Britain
In 1917 what hospital provided plastic surgery
Queens hospital in Kent
Solutions / treatment for trench fever
Bath houses built to clean men + clothes
Machines to steam clothes
Picked lice out by hand (boosted moral)
July 1917+1918 what % of men were unfit for duty with trench foot
15%
Solutions /treatment for trench foot
- rubbing oil into feet , keep feet dry, change socks
- each soldier have 3 pairs of socks
- men split into pairs to look at others feet
- Mechanical pumps sent to trenches to reduce water logging
What did gangrene mean for soldiers
Amputation was needed to stop spread
Solutions / treatments for gas injuries
-gas masks given to all British groups in July 1915
- before developed own masks (soaked Cotten pads with urine + pressed on faces to help stop gas entering lungs
- gave sufferer o2 to reduce breathing problems + washed skin to remove poison gas
What % of overall casualties where caused by shell shock (+ how many cases)
1%
80,000
What were some accused of who were suffering from shell shock and why
Cowardice
As it was not well understood
Some were punished or shit others were treated in Britain
In 1916 how many cases of shell shock were recorded in Britain in 6 months
16000
Treatments for shell shock
Given rest + food
Most sent back to fight
Where were people with shell shock treated and why
Front line as there was worry of catching it even though it was not contagious
What did carrel + dak develop in 1915
Infection prevention
Antiseptic solution that could be flushed into wounds using rubber tubes before closure
(Irrigation)
Lasted 6 hours
What did Richard Lewisohn discover
Sodium citrate could be added to blood to prevent clotting and therefore blood could be stored so the donor didn’t have to be present so increased number of blood transfusion
Store blood deteriorated quick - what did scientists find to allow it to be stored for several days
Refrigerated conditions + citrate glucose
The 1st blood depot created before which battle
Battle of cambrai in 1917
