Feet suffered gravely in the waterlogged trenches , as tight boots, wet conditions and cold caused swelling and pain. Prolonged exposure to damp and cold could lead to gangrene and even amputation of the feet in severe cases. Lice and infrequent changes of clothing added to unhygienic battlefield conditions.
What were the worst conditions soldiers in WWI went through?
With soldiers fighting in close proximity in the trenches, usually in unsanitary conditions, infectious diseases such as dysentery, cholera and typhoid fever were common and spread rapidly.
Did WW1 soldiers get frostbite?
Despite the extra layers, many of the men still fell victim to frostbite and trench foot . Walter Grover was a private in the Royal Sussex Regiment. All the time you’ve got in the trenches you never knew you’d got trench feet. ... In extreme cases, men even died from exposure to the biting cold.
How were WW1 soldiers injured?
The casualties suffered by the participants in World War I dwarfed those of previous wars: some 8,500,000 soldiers died as a result of wounds and/or disease. The greatest number of casualties and wounds were inflicted by artillery, followed by small arms, and then by poison gas.
What disease killed soldiers in WW1?
On Armistice Day, 1918, the world was already fighting another battle. It was in the grip of Spanish Influenza
Did soldiers pee in their boots?
They pissed on their boots to soften the leather . They pissed on their handkerchieves to make gas-masks. ... Urine was ideal for several applications in the trenches. It was easily accessed and in plentiful supply.
How did soldiers deal with rats in the trenches?
The rats grew bigger and bolder and would even steal food from a soldier’s hand . But for some soldiers the rats became their friends. They captured them and kept them as pets, bringing a brief reprisal from the horror which lay all around.
What weapon killed the most in ww1?
Artillery was by far the greatest killer in the war; about 58.3 percent of German deaths were caused by artillery and about 41.7 percent by small arms.
How did they treat soldiers in ww1?
They worked through the heat of battle and bombardment to treat the flood of casualties as best they could. They dressed wounds, tried to relieve pain, and prepared the badly wounded for the uncomfortable journey out of the trenches to the field hospital.
Which country lost the most soldiers in World war 1?
| Country Total mobilized forces Killed or died 1 | Allied Powers: | Russia 12,000,000 1,700,000 | British Empire 8, 904,467 908,371 | France 2 8,410,000 1,357,800 |
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What was the biggest killer in ww1?
By far, artillery was the biggest killer in World War I, and provided the greatest source of war wounded.
What were the odds of dying in ww1?
“Of the original thousand men (who served from the opening of the war), nearly 90% would become casualties during the war. A third (33 percent) would be killed .
What was the leading cause of death in ww1?
Most of the casualties during WWI are due to war related famine and disease . Civilian deaths due to the Spanish flu have been excluded from these figures, whenever possible. Moreover, civilian deaths include the Armenian Genocide.
Did soldiers died from trench foot?
The condition first became known during World War I, when soldiers got trench foot from fighting in cold, wet conditions in trenches without the extra socks or boots to help keep their feet dry. Trench foot killed an estimated 2,000 American and 75,000 British soldiers during WWI .
What diseases did soldiers get in ww1?
But the majority of loss of life can be attributed to famine and disease – horrific conditions meant fevers, parasites and infections were rife on the frontline and ripped through the troops in the trenches. Among the diseases and viruses that were most prevalent were influenza, typhoid, trench foot
What food did the soldiers eat in ww1?
The bulk of their diet in the trenches was bully beef (caned corned beef), bread and biscuits . By the winter of 1916 flour was in such short supply that bread was being made with dried ground turnips. The main food was now a pea-soup with a few lumps of horsemeat.
