Medicine: Western Front Case Study Flashcards
when did Britain declare war on Germany?
4th August 1914
how many British casualties were there on the Western Front during the war?
2.7 million
what % of the casualties were not seen by medical services due to them dying or being held prisoner?
25%
what % of those treated died of their wounds?
5.6%
when was the first battle of Ypres?
1914
how many troops did Britain lose in the first battle of Ypres?
50,000
what was the salient?
an area under British control surrounded by Germans on 3 sides
how did the Germans have an advantage over the British in the first battle of Ypres?
they held hill 60 meaning they had a height advantage
how did the British capture hill 60 in 1915?
they mined underneath the hill and literally blew up the German defences
when was the second battle of Ypres?
April to May 1915
what did the Germans use for the first time during the second battle of Ypres?
chlorine gas
how many troops did the British lose in the second battle of Ypres?
59,000
during what battle did the British finally push back the Germans from the town of Ypres?
Passchendaele
how many British casualties were there in the battle of Passchendaele?
245,000
when was the battle of the Somme?
July to November 1916
how many British casualties were there on the first day the the battle of the Somme?
20,000
how many British casualties were there throughout the battle of the Somme?
57,000
what 2 reasons make the battle of the somme significant?
first use of tanks
use of creeping barrage
what is creeping barrage?
artillery bombardment that moved towards the German trench as the British approached it
when was the battle of Arras?
1917
how was the attack at Arras initially a British success?
the British advanced 8 miles into enemy territory
what did Britain, New Zealand and Canada built during the battle of Arras?
2.5 miles of tunnels which could shelter 25,000 men, contained accommodation, a railway, water and electrical supplies
when was the battle of Cambrai?
1917
how many British tanks were used during the battle of Cambrai?
over 450
how did the British lose the battle of Cambrai?
the Germans counter-attacked and all land was taken
what were the first trenches made out of?
sandbags in existing ditches
how did trenches develop as the war went on?
they became more complex with bunkers, drainage, hospitals and accommodation
in a trench, what was the firebay?
where troops did their shooting protected by sandbags
in a trench, what was the duckboard?
prevented soldiers standing in water and getting trench foot
in a trench, what was the firestep?
allows the soldiers to fire towards the other trench
in a trench, what was the parapet?
low protective wall
in a trench, what was the ammunition shelf?
area in which ammo was kept near the firestep
in a trench, what was the dugout?
area dug into side of the trench where men could take protective cover
what was the frontline trench?
where attacks were made from, the most dangerous area
what was the reserve trench?
100m behind the support trench where troops would be mobilised to counter attack the enemy if they captured the front line
what was the support trench?
80m behind the frontline trench, troops would retreat here if under attack
what was the communications trench?
trenches that run between other trenches linking them together
what were the advantages of the trench system?
simple to make and cheap to build
easy to defend with few men
provided some shelter
what were the disadvantages of the trench system?
very dirty and unhygienic
dead bodies left horrible smell
bad weather led to flooding
how many cases of frostbite was there in december 1914?
6000
why was it difficult to transport wounded men from the front line?
the landscape was very muddy and uneven meaning ambulances would get stuck
large number of casualties made it hard to manoeuvre stretchers
land was dangerous under heavy fire
why were horse drawn carriages not very useful?
could not cope with the number of wounded
shaky transport made injuries worse
how many motor ambulances was money raised for?
512
when did the first motor ambulances reach the front line?
october 1914
why were ambulance trains useful?
they were specially designed to fit stretchers down the side of the carriage and some contained operating theatres
why were ambulance trains criticised?
for damaging the war effort as trains were blocking supply routes in France and Belgium
what problems were facing soldiers on the western front?
weather, slow transport, lack of resources, lack of medical staff, gas attacks
what caused trench foot?
standing in waterlogged trenches with no change of boots or socks
what would happen in the first stage of trench foot?
feet would swell, go numb and the skin would turn red or blue
how many cases of trench foot did the british army experience during the winter of 1914-15?
12000
what were the attempted solutions for trench foot?
soldiers should carry 3 pairs of socks and change them twice daily
attempts were made to pump out trenches to reduce water logging and add duckboards
what were the symptoms of trench fever?
high temperature, headache, aching muscles, eye pain rash, back pain, joint pain
what spread trench fever?
lice
how many men on the western front were affected by trench fever?
half a million
