Swanley History Group – Media Report – August 2014 meeting
What a shock those young men, mainly volunteers with little experience or training, who enlisted in 1914 to fight for the allies in World War 1 must have got. They went off both excited and fearful, believing, from the positive propaganda given, that they would be back home victorious within the year. Instead four years of bloody conflict followed and many would find themselves fighting in the 450 miles or so of what is known as no man’s-land, where thickets of closely packed barbed wire separated the trenches of both sides. Nor could they have been prepared for the dreadful noise and stench of battle.
Being used to the technology we have today it is hard to imagine fighting a war without effective communication – but this was one of the major difficulties. Lacking reliable radio communication disseminating orders and information was slow. Previously devised battle plans was heavily relied upon which was inflexible and often disastrous.
The average weight of soldiers in WW1 was eight stone yet, whether they were advancing forward from their trenches or moving to another location, they had to walk carrying all their equipment with them – this was before the time of troop carriers – and on meagre rations.
Artillery was the biggest killer – shells being responsible for 59% of casualties, bombs, other weapons and illness for 39% and gas poisoning for less than 2% - though more died from the effects after the war.
Military historian Geoff Bridger’s presentation at our meeting on 5 August helped us to appreciate ‘The Reality of The Great War’ in greater depth. Photographs of some of the many artefacts he brought to show us, including weaponry, can be seen on our Facebook and web pages (swanleyhistorygroup.weebly.co.uk). He appears in BBC 2’s programme ‘The World’s War: Forgotten Soldiers of Empire’ broadcast on 6 and 13 August.
Our next meeting is on Tuesday 2 September, starting 7.30 pm at The Clocktower Pavilion, St Mary’s Road, Swanley.
Christina Tyler, Programme Organiser
What a shock those young men, mainly volunteers with little experience or training, who enlisted in 1914 to fight for the allies in World War 1 must have got. They went off both excited and fearful, believing, from the positive propaganda given, that they would be back home victorious within the year. Instead four years of bloody conflict followed and many would find themselves fighting in the 450 miles or so of what is known as no man’s-land, where thickets of closely packed barbed wire separated the trenches of both sides. Nor could they have been prepared for the dreadful noise and stench of battle.
Being used to the technology we have today it is hard to imagine fighting a war without effective communication – but this was one of the major difficulties. Lacking reliable radio communication disseminating orders and information was slow. Previously devised battle plans was heavily relied upon which was inflexible and often disastrous.
The average weight of soldiers in WW1 was eight stone yet, whether they were advancing forward from their trenches or moving to another location, they had to walk carrying all their equipment with them – this was before the time of troop carriers – and on meagre rations.
Artillery was the biggest killer – shells being responsible for 59% of casualties, bombs, other weapons and illness for 39% and gas poisoning for less than 2% - though more died from the effects after the war.
Military historian Geoff Bridger’s presentation at our meeting on 5 August helped us to appreciate ‘The Reality of The Great War’ in greater depth. Photographs of some of the many artefacts he brought to show us, including weaponry, can be seen on our Facebook and web pages (swanleyhistorygroup.weebly.co.uk). He appears in BBC 2’s programme ‘The World’s War: Forgotten Soldiers of Empire’ broadcast on 6 and 13 August.
Our next meeting is on Tuesday 2 September, starting 7.30 pm at The Clocktower Pavilion, St Mary’s Road, Swanley.
Christina Tyler, Programme Organiser