Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Wounds from Injuries on the Western Front (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
The Nature of Wounds in the First World War - Summary
Conflict on the Western Front involved a variety of weapons. These aimed to cause the greatest number of casualties and reduce morale. Bullets from automatic rifles and machine guns penetrated the body. This often led to infection due to the presence of harmful bacteria on soldier's clothing. Artillery shells and shrapnel were responsible for a large number of casualties. Gas attacks caused the least number of casualties on the Western Front but their ability to instill fear caused many soldiers to suffer psychological injuries. Developments such as the gas mask and Brodie helmet helped to reduce the number of casualties. However, the vast array of injuries and wounds required many medical officers and related staff. It is important to have a knowledge of the most common battle injuries and weapons and how the British Army attempted to limit the impact of these wounds on soldiers' well-being. |
Wounds from Rifles & Explosives
Bullets
A case study of 200,000 injured soldiers showed that bullets were responsible for 39% of wounds at the Western Front:
Bullets pierced organs and fractured bones due to their pointed tips
Rifles were accurate up to 500 metres
A three-man crew was usually used to fire, reload and move the guns
They could fire 450 bullets per minute
Magazine-fed rifles were the standard weapons used by soldiers during the First World War
Machine guns were less common. They were used to fire on soldiers as they entered no-man's-land
Explosions
The same case study of 200,000 injured soldiers showed that explosions from artillery shells and shrapnel were responsible for 58% of wounds:
Limbs like arms and legs were particularly vulnerable
High-explosive shells from artillery could kill soldiers instantly
Shrapnel, Wound Infection & Head Injuries
Shrapnel
Explosions from shells scattered out smaller pieces of metal called shrapnel
Shells were also filled with steel balls or lead to cause maximum casualties
Over 41,000 soldiers had limbs amputated due to injuries caused by shells
It was most effective against troops in no-man’s-land, where soldiers could not take cover
Wound infection
Shrapnel or bullets penetrated the body. They carried with them fabric from a soldier’s uniform which was often soiled and muddy:
Fertiliser in the soil contained bacteria which caused infections like tetanus and gas gangrene
Anti-tetanus injections reduced the impact of tetanus
There was no cure for gas gangrene and it could often kill a person within a day
One British surgeon commented:
"Every gunshot wound…is more or less infected…at the moment of its infliction"
Head injuries
At the start of the war, British soldiers wore non-metal headgear called a soft cap:
There were a large number of head injuries which led to a change
The introduction of ‘Brodie’ helmets in 1915 helped to protect soldiers from head injuries:
Effects of Gas Attacks
Gas attacks caused great psychological fear to British soldiers on the Western Front
Poems like Wilfred Owen’s Dulce Et Decorum EST depict the chaos caused by gas attacks:
"Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! - An ecstasy of fumbling."
"As under a green sea, I saw him drowning"
Gas attacks only caused around 6,000 British deaths (fewer than 5%)
Short-term symptoms like blindness, loss of taste and coughing usually only lasted for a few weeks
At first, soldiers initially used urine, soaked cotton pads to place around their mouths
This helped to stop chlorine gas from entering their lungs
Gas masks issued in July 1915 prevented many deaths
Worked Example
How could you follow up Source A to find out more about the effects of a gas attack?
In your answer, you must give the question you would ask and the type of source you could use.
4 marks
Source A: From a diary account by Dr. Harvey Cushing, 25 April 1915. Cushing worked as a surgeon on the Western Front.
When we got to the ambulances, we heard about a recent gas attack. A huge, greenish cloud of smoke with a yellowish top had rolled down from the German trenches. Only sixty men out of a thousand survived the attack. Later, I saw some of those who had been affected. Two of them were still conscious but gasping for breath, their faces discoloured, and they were about to die. I hoped they didn't have long to wait, poor chaps. Then we saw many of the severely gassed men who had arrived at the hospital this morning. It was a terrible business. One man's face was dark blue and with every cough, he coughed up a thick stream of discoloured phlegm. He was too busy struggling to breathe to bother much about anything else - a most horrible form of death. |
Answers:
Detail in Source A that I would follow up: ‘Two of them were still conscious but gasping for breath, their faces discoloured, and they were about to die.’ (1)
Question I would ask: What could be done to help a soldier affected by a gas attack? (1)
What type of source I would look for: RAMC medical record from 1915 after a gas attack (1)
How this might help answer my question: The records would detail when the soldiers were gassed, their main symptoms, and what treatments were given to help them. (1)
Examiner Tips and Tricks
You should be as precise as possible when suggesting a source to help you carry out the enquiry.
The above refers to medical records for a group of soldiers, which is a specific source. However, medical records from an Advanced Dressing Station would be even more precise.
Remember that this must be a source. Suggestions of using textbooks, historians, the internet or any other interpretation will not receive a mark.
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