western front

• what year was the 2nd battle of ypres?

  1915
• what did the 2nd battle of Ypres see the 1st use of?

  chlorine gas
• what were the conditions like at ypres?

  muddy and waterlogged
• what year was the battle of the somme?

  1916
• how many British casualties on 1st day of the somme?

  60,000
• when was the battle of arras?


  1917
• what were the conditions like at arras?

  chalky ground
• when was the battle of cambrai?

  1917
• what was used for the 1st time on a large scale at cambrai?

  Tanks
• how many tanks used against the German front line?

  over 450
• front line:

  15% of time

  most dangerous

  closest to enemy

  bad conditions

  difficult to repair
• support trench:

  10% of time

  2nd line of troops to support front line

  around 200-500m behind FL
• command trench:

  high rank officers

  10-20m behind FL
• communication trench:

  linked to all trenches

  used for movement and communication
• reserve trench:

  30% of time

  troops ready to fight

  better conditions
• what percent of time was spent away from the trenches?

  45%
• what is the actual name for trench fever?

  Pyrexia
• what are the symptoms of trench feveer?

  • severe headaches
  • shivering
  • aches in bones and joints
• what was trench fever spread by?

  Lice
• how was trench fever prevented?

  • louse repellent gel
  • wash clothes in paraffin
  • steam disinfect clothing
  • pick lice out by hand
• what % of men were unfit for duty due to trench fever? (1917-1918)

  15%
• what caused trench foot?

  • waterlogged trenches
  • tight boots that restricted bloodflow
• what did trench foot often lead to?

  Gangrene
• how was trench foot prevented?

  • change socks 2 x per day
  • rub whale oil on feet
  • 'feet friends' to look after each others feet
  • high rubber waders
  • mechanical pumps to reduce waterlogging
• what did gangrene often have to be treated with?

  amputation
• what was NYD.N?


  shell shock
• how many cases of shell shock were there in 1916 in 6 months?

  16,000
• how many reordered cases of shell shock were there?

  80,000
• why were the bullets in rifles so deadly?

  bullets were more pointed so went deeper in body from a longer distance
• how many rounds could a machine gun fire per min?

  500
• how far could a British howitzer send a shell?

  12 miles
• which was the greatest killer of all weapons?

  artillery
• what did shrapnel consist of?

  a hollow shell packed with steel balls, lead and gunpowder
• where did shrapnel explode and why?

  in mid air above the enemy to cause maximum casualties
• when were steel helmets widely used by?

  summer 1916
• what was gas gangrene caused by?

  bacteria in soil which contained manure as it was on farmland
• what could nurses look out for as a sign of gas gangrene?

  sweet smell
• how did soldiers try and protect themselves from gas attacks?

  urinating on handkerchiefs and holding it over nose and mouth
• what were the effects of gas attacks?

  • blindness
  • loss of taste
  • coughing
• 1. stretcher bearers:

  16 per 1000 men

  4 men per stretcher

  dealt with mud, shell craters and crowded trenches