World War I: Key Events on the Western Front

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What year was the Battle of the Somme fought?

1915

1918

1916 (correct)

1917

Which new medical technology was introduced first in 1915?

Plastic surgery facilities

Blood storage techniques

Delousing stations

Gas masks (correct)

What notable event occurred in November 1918?

End of WW1 (correct)

Discovery of how to store blood for 4 weeks

Opening of Queen's Hospital

First use of blood transfusions in combat

In which battle were tunnels dug into a chalky landscape?

Battle of Arras Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following advancements was introduced to prevent blood clotting?

Richard Lewisohn's research Signup and view all the answers

What was the main purpose of setting up delousing stations during WWI?

To prevent trench fever Signup and view all the answers

What symptoms were associated with shell shock as experienced by soldiers?

Tiredness and nightmares Signup and view all the answers

What was a common treatment for severe wounds during WWI?

Amputation Signup and view all the answers

How did the introduction of gas attacks affect soldiers on the battlefield?

It caused widespread panic and confusion. Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of wounds during WWI were attributed to high explosive shells and shrapnel?

58% Signup and view all the answers

What was the main characteristic of the Brodie Helmet introduced in WWI?

It significantly reduced head wounds. Signup and view all the answers

What was the fatal consequence of chlorine gas during WWI?

Death by suffocation Signup and view all the answers

Which type of gas was faster acting than chlorine and could kill within two days?

Phosgene Signup and view all the answers

What was a limitation of the X-ray technology used during the war?

It required multiple angles to identify objects. Signup and view all the answers

Who introduced blood transfusions in the British Sector during World War I?

Lawrence Robertson Signup and view all the answers

What was a challenge faced by the mobile X-ray units in the British sector?

Their tubes overheated quickly. Signup and view all the answers

What factor contributed to the reduction of wrong blood type transfusions?

The identification of different blood groups. Signup and view all the answers

What was the main problem with Roentgen's x-ray machine?

X-rays required too much time to complete. Signup and view all the answers

What was the blood group that was identified as the universal donor?

O Signup and view all the answers

Which method of surgery significantly reduced infection by 1900?

Aseptic Surgery Signup and view all the answers

What role did the RAP (Regimental Aid Post) serve in the Chain of Evacuation?

It was the first stop for the walking wounded. Signup and view all the answers

What was required of all medical staff before entering the surgery room?

They had to wash their hands thoroughly. Signup and view all the answers

What was one of the key features of aseptic surgery?

Medical equipment was sterilized with steam. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The Western Front

April 1915: First use of gas in the 2nd Battle of Ypres.
April 1915: Battle of Hill 60
1915: First use of gas masks.
1915: Brodie helmets introduced.
December 1915: Thomas Splint taught to medical practitioners.
January 1916: The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANYs) were allowed to drive ambulances.
July 1916: Battle of the Somme.
1916: Tunnels were dug at Arras.
July 1917: Third Battle of Ypres.
1917: Battle of Arras.
1917: The Carrel-Dakin method was agreed upon as the best method to stop infection.
August 1917: Sir Harold Gillies opened the Queen’s Hospital for plastic surgery.
1917: Blood transfusions were widely used in Casualty Clearing Stations (CCS).
1918: Delousing stations were set up.
November 1918: World War 1 Ends.

The Ypres Salient (1914-1915)

The Ypres Salient was an area under British control surrounded by German forces.
Autumn 1914: The First Battle of Ypres took place; German forces attacked British positions around Ypres.

Solutions to Delousing

Delousing stations were set up at the front: clothes were disinfected, men were bathed and sprayed with chemicals to prevent lice.
This led to a decline in the number of soldiers suffering from lice.

Shell Shock

Symptoms included tiredness, headaches, nightmares, loss of speech, uncontrollable shaking, and complete mental breakdown.
An estimated 80,000 British troops experienced shell shock.
The army referred to it as “NYD,N” (Not Yet Diagnosed, Nervous).
Some soldiers experiencing shell shock were accused of cowardice punished, and some were even shot.
Craiglockhart Hospital in Edinburgh was set up and treated 2,000 sufferers.

Gas Attacks

Gas caused great panic as soldiers were unprepared for it.
It was not a major cause of death, only 6,000 soldiers died of gas poisoning during WW1.
Chlorine: Used at Ypres in 1915.
Caused death by suffocation. Before gas masks, soldiers soaked cotton pads in urine and held them to their faces.
Phosgene: Used at Ypres in 1915. A faster-acting gas than chlorine, killing an exposed person within two days.
Mustard Gas: First used in 1917; created blisters, caused respiratory problems and damage to eyes.
Lewisite: Used in 1918. Killed slower than other types of gas but was very toxic.

New Wounds from WW1

High Explosive Shells and Shrapnel: Responsible for 58% of wounds.
Bullets: Responsible for another 39% of wounds.
60% of shrapnel wounds were to the arms and legs.
A common treatment was amputation, over 41,000 soldiers had limbs amputated.

Head Wounds and the Brodie Helmet

The high number of head wounds led to the introduction of the steel Brodie Helmet.
It reduced fatal head wounds by 80%.
All soldiers were issued a Brodie helmet.

Blood Transfusions

Introduced by Lawrence Robertson in 1915 at the base hospital in Boulogne.
1901: Blood groups were discovered (A, B, AB, and O). O was the ‘universal blood group’.
The Problem: Blood couldn’t be stored so had to be used immediately, and the donor had to be connected directly to the recipient.

Aseptic Surgery

Joseph Lister’s methods laid the foundations for aseptic surgery after the publication of Louis Pasteur’s germ theory in 1816.
By 1900, most operations were carried out using aseptic methods.
Aseptic Surgery Included:
- All medical equipment was steam sterilised.
- The operating room was air sterilised to kill germs.
- All staff scrubbed before surgery, wearing clean gowns and rubber gloves.

The Evacuation Route

The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) needed a quick and efficient system to get wounded soldiers from the frontlines to safety for treatment.
The Chain of Evacuation: A four-stage system for evacuating casualties, with the order of stages varying for each individual.

Regimental Aid Post (RAP)

Located within 200 meters of the frontline, in communication trenches.
Walking wounded made their way to the RAP, or were carried there.
Stretcher bearers each carried basic medical supplies, and there were usually 16 per battalion (1000 soldiers), not enough to meet demand.

The Thomas Splint

The original splint used to treat leg fractures was a simple wooden splint with a rope strap for support.
The splint did not keep the leg straight.
By the time injured soldiers reached the Casualty Clearing Station, their leg was often in a bad state, leading to blood loss, shock, gangrene, and often amputation if they survived.
Hugh Thomas invented the Thomas Splint, which was tested in a London hospital.
It kept the leg straight, allowing the bone to heal properly.
From December 1915, medical practitioners at the front were trained to use the Thomas Splint.
Survival rates for leg fractures increased from 20% to 80%.

New Techniques in the Treatment of Wounds

X-rays: Used from the beginning of the war, mainly to show shrapnel and bullets, which aided infection control.
Mobile X-ray Units: Six mobile vans were used throughout the British sector of the Western Front.
“Petit Curies”: Named after Marie Curie, who created them.

Weaknesses of WW1 X-ray Units

Two x-rays would be taken from different angles to help the surgeon identify the location and shape of shrapnel.
X-rays could not detect all objects in the body, such as fragments of clothing within a wound.
The time needed to perform an x-ray.
Tubes in the x-ray unit overheated quickly, requiring three machines to be used in rotation.
Mobile units took time to set up and the image quality was poorer than in base hospitals, but they could still identify shrapnel.

Blood Bank at Cambrai

The identification of blood groups and the use of type O as a universal donor reduced the risk of using the wrong blood type during transfusions.

Brain Surgery

Injuries to the brain were almost always fatal at the start of the war.
Reasons:
- Very few doctors had experience with neurosurgery before the war.
- Infection in the head was common.
- It was difficult to move men through the chain of evacuation with head injuries.

Harvey Cushing

Leading American neurosurgeon, developed new techniques:
Magnets: Experimented with using magnets to remove metal fragments from the brain.
Local Anaesthetic: Used a local anaesthetic instead of a general anaesthetic to avoid brain swelling.
Survival Rates: By 1917, Cushing had operated on 45 patients and 71% survived, compared to the usual survival rate of 50%.

Plastic Surgery

Harold Gillies, a New Zealand ear, nose, and throat surgeon, developed the use of plastic surgery during the war.
He was interested in how to replace and restore parts of the face that had been destroyed.
New Operations: Gillies developed new operations to overcome problems:
- Delicate surgery couldn't be completed in France, so Queen's Hospital in Kent opened in 1917.
- Skin Grafts: Gillies used skin grafts (taking skin from one area to graft onto the wounded area).
- Jaw Splints, Wiring and Metal: Used jaw splints, wiring, and metal to make replacement cheeks for facial reconstruction.

Gillies and Facial Injuries

After the Battle of the Somme in 1916, Gillies personally dealt with around 2,000 cases of facial damage.
By 1915, 7 hospitals in France specialized in plastic surgery, especially head injuries.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

Explore the significant events on the Western Front during World War I, from the introduction of gas warfare in 1915 to the establishment of critical medical advancements. This quiz covers crucial battles, innovations, and the harsh realities faced by soldiers and medics alike. Test your knowledge of this pivotal period in history.