Western front

• Trench system

  • front line trench
  • communication trench
  • support trench
  • reserve trench
  • no man’s land
  • dugout
• Arras

  1917 built underground tunnels even underground hospital
• Ypres 


  1914,1915,1917 heavy soil causing flooding

  1915 battle poisonous gas used
• Somme


  1916 tanks used which created uneven fields
• Cambrai


  1917 blood bank used
• problems battles caused

  • bombs made crates
  • bacteria in soil led to infections
  • ambulances difficult to move in mud
  • stretcher bearers couldn’t see route clearly
  • high casulty rates
• medical advancements on western front

  • plastic surgery
  • thomas splint
  • mobile x-rays
  • blood banks
• Development in medicine

  • medical cards
  • x-rays
  • aseptic surgery
  • carol dankin method
  • blood tranfusions
• injuries on western front

  • bullets penetrating bones and organs
  • shells caused head injuries
  • shrapnel made extensive wounds
  • bacteria from soil caused infection
• gas attacks

  • chlorine gas
  • phosgene gas
  • mustard gas

  loste of taste, smell, coughing blindness, chemical burns
• illnesses on western front

  • trench fever
  • trench foot
  • shell shock
  • dysentery
• Brodie helmets 


  1915 made of steel to prevent head injuries from shrapnel
• Underground hospital arras

  • 700 beds
  • operating theatres
• RAMC


  royal army medical corps

  all men cared for wounded
• FANY


  first aid nursing yeomanry

  women who gave nursing care driving motor ambulances cleaning
• Chain of evacuation

  1. stretcher bearers
  2. regimental aid post (RAP)
  3. dressing station
  4. casualty clearing station (CCS)
  5. base hospitals
• Blood bank battle of cambrai

  1. sodium nitrate added to prevent clotting
  2. blood refrigerated for days
  3. portable machines to carry to front lines

  stocks of blood could be prepared for before battle for soilders
• Landsteiner 


  discovered different blood groups made transfusions safer
• Lewisohn


  discovered sodium nitrate allowed blood to be stored for several days
• Individual sources

  • personal accounts e.g letter
  • photographs
  • hospital records
  • army statistics
• National sources

  • army records
  • national newspapers
  • government reports
  • medical articles e.g RAMC, FANY
• Western Front 


  1914-1918