"Nobody knows how tired we are, tired we are, tired we are, nobody knows how tired we are, and nobody seems to care." - Marching song
Disfiguration
Many soldiers suffered from disfiguration from exploding shells or on foot combat. Soldiers would suffer from deep gashes or wounds on face or body that possibly let to amputation.many old soldiers who's face had become disfigured would refer to themselves as "broken gargoyles" .many soldiers found it very hard to return to every day civilian life. some soldiers covered up their disfiguartion with masks. Soldiers returned home blind or with face or body parts removed. Many soldiers withdrew from family or friends, abandoning wife or children. Others killed themselves or died in suspicious accidents.
Trench Foot
Trench foot is a medical condition caused by prolonged exposure of the feet to damp, unsanitary, and cold conditions. Many soldiers wee forced to stand going water or mud for long periods of times. Soldiers would go many days without drying out feet and taking of their wet boots trench foot was painful and very inconvenient in combat. In serious cases, soldiers had to have their feet or legs amputated. Trench foot was the second largest admission for any particular condition, though only forty-one men actually died from it.
" The trench is nothing more than a strip of water. The side cave in behind you, as you pass, with a soft sliver. We ourselves are transferred into statues of clay, with mud even in one's very mouth." - French Soldier
" The trench is nothing more than a strip of water. The side cave in behind you, as you pass, with a soft sliver. We ourselves are transferred into statues of clay, with mud even in one's very mouth." - French Soldier
Gas
Poisonous gas was a weapon used during the first world war. Some of the gases used where intended to make the eyes and nose water while other were intended to do far worse. When poisonous gas was first being used, doctors and nurses did not know how to treat soldiers. For many soldiers gas affected their vision and lungs. Soon gas masks were given to soldiers to protect from the hazardous fumes. Some fumes would create blisters and sores when touching the skin. Some soldiers suffered from exposer to poisonous gas for the rest of their lives.
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Disease and Sickness
Trench Fever was a disease spread by lice in the trenches. The sickness was easily passed or transferred between soldiers. The disease consisted of a variety of symptoms including fever, headaches, aching muscles and sores on skin. The disease was painful and took about twelve weeks for a soldier to fully recover from. In many cases soldiers would get it more than once.