Survivors

Dear Fred,

How are you? I heard you have been doing alright since the war ended and I last saw you. I'm very sorry to hear about your cousin. I'm actually quite surprised that he lasted that long with a bullet wound in his head, but nevertheless, I'm still very sorry for your loss.

I have a question for you though. Are you still haunted by the memories of our dead companions? Because I am. Everyday and every night, it's all I can seem to think about. I'm not sure what's wrong with me, but I am having a very hard getting over it. In the middle of the night, I am awoken by the sound of gunfire, but once I come to my sense, I realize that it is just my imagination. I sincerely hope that I am not the only one feeling this type of grief, but I am not sure how much longer I can stand it.

Shell-shock, my wife calls it. After doing some research I have come to that conclusion. In fact, sometimes I even have trouble doing the basic chores around the house. I am petrified that I will spend my whole life like this, but I'm not sure of another option. It seems like even though I survived the war, part of me died on the inside.

Hope you feel alright,
Sincerely,

John

This is the ship I was returning home on. It was incredibly crowded, but it didn't feel that bad compared to the trenches. I was just so ecstatic to be finally returning home.

This is just one of the many explosions that still plays over and over in my mind today. I will be forever scarred from it.

Ship of Soldiers Returning Home from World War I. 1919. Bettman. Corbis Images. 

     Web. 7 Dec. 2010.

Explosion of the mine at Beaumont Hamel during the Battle of the Somme. 1917. 
     Thomas Nelson & Sons, London. Photos of the Great War. Web. 7 Dec. 2010.

Sir Arthur Currie

Dear Family,

I'll be coming home any day now, and I'm so excited to see all of you. But guess who I met today! The one and only Arthur Currie! He's the first ever Canadian-appointed commander of the Canadian Corps AND the first Canadian to be promoted to General rank during the war! Did you know that he began the war with no professional military experience? He's been in almost every important battle that Canada took place in, and he helped plan a lot of them too. He's known for his excellency at trench warfare, and easily adopting to new strategies. That's how he won all of his battles.
        
He started telling us his story of when the German's started using gas during the Second Battle of Ypres, he stayed calm and directed his troops. That was his first big battle, after which he was promoted to Major-General. He then participated in battles such as the Battle of the Somme, Vimy Ridge, Hill 70, Passchendaele, and the Hundred Days Offensive. In each one of these battles, he showed outstanding leadership and courage, which are things that all Canadians soldiers should strive to be.
        
Did you know he's the reason that everybody has been wanted more Canadian led battles and leadership from Canadians instead of the British? It's because Currie warned the Canadians not to go into battle in Passchendaele. But because the British leadership made the Canadian troops go in anyway, a lot of soldiers died. Ever since then, people have been wanting more and more Canadian led actions.

Will be seeing you soon,
Sincerely,

John

"Currie, Sir Arthur William." The Canadian Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 
     2010.


Currie, Sir A.W. N.d. The Canadian Encylopedia. Web. 6 Dec. 2010.


Arthur Currie, Commander of the Canadian Corps at the Battle of Passchendaele.
     N.d. Library and Archives Canada. Canada Online. Web. 6 Dec. 2010.


Munroe, Susan. "Sir Arthur Currie." Canada Online. About, n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2010.


Dancocks, Daniel G. Welcome to Flanders fields. Toronto: McLelland and Stewart,
     1988. Print.

Medical Treatment

Dear Family,

I'm alright now, but last week I had a minor injury to my arm. Fortunately, because the medics got to me in the first hour, I had an 85% chance of survival. I'm just glad to not have any injuries from gunshots, shrapnel or poison gas after seeing what happened to so many of my fellow soldiers. The medics tell me that these are the leading causes of death, especially if your wounded in the head, chest or abdomen. Because of the nature of my injury and the unsanitary conditions of the trench, I even have a large bandage to protect me from infection, but that's most likely inevitable anyways. The medic's sure do look overworked though; I'm sure they have far too many patients as they can handle.
         
As lucky as I am to not have a serious injury, I'm also lucky to not have any illness. There are a lot of diseases spreading around, many of which are can be fatal. One of the big illnesses around here is called 'Trench Fever'. In fact, one of the medics told me that there's a theory that it comes from lice. It's incredibly unpleasant, symptoms including everything from headaches to rashes to pained legs. It's not really serious, but I know a few guys who were sent to the hospital because of it. Similarly, there's this other infection called 'Trench Foot'. We reckon it's caused by the cold, wet and unsanitary conditions our feet are subjected to in the trenches. Someone I heard even had to have his foot amputated because of it!
    
Anyway, I'm probably grossing you out right now, but I just feel very thankful not to have any of these diseases or injuries.

I'll write again soon,
John

These are some British soldiers that are helping an ambulance through the mud. As you can see, the conditions around the ambulance are nowhere near sanitary, and it has awful slow transportation. 

Here you can see two stretcher-bearers carrying a wounded soldier on a stretcher across wobbly terrain. This does not seem safe at all, but it was the best that they could manage.


Miller, M Geoffrey. The Medical Front. Virtual Library, 11 Nov. 2010. Web. 7 
     Dec. 2010.


British soldiers help ambulance through mud. 20th Century. Private Collection. 
     firstworldwar. Web. 7 Dec. 2010.


British Stretcher Bearers. N.d. Private Collection. firstworldwar. Web. 7 Dec.
     2010.


Dennison, John D. "Medics, A Brief History." 1st Cav Medic. N.p., n.d. Web. 7
     Dec. 2010.


"Medicine: War Wounds." Time. N.p., 18 Sept. 1939. Web. 7 Dec. 2010.


firstworldwar. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2010.

Trench Warfare

Dear Family,

I am missing all of you, especially in these awful conditions. Trench warfare involves nothing like a sense of adventure, but more a sense of despair and desperation. The conditions are terrible and although we're protected from enemy fire, we're still subject to bomb attacks. Just yesterday we lost a man to no-man's land. It wasn't worth the few metres of land we had gained on the opponent, because they just moved back to their reserve trenches. There was no use trying to save him, the machine guns did their job, and anyone who would have followed him out into no-man's land would have been a goner too.
    
Did I mention the awful conditions too? We do practically everything in the trenches: eat, sleep, and fight. Fortunately everyone gets a bit of a rest during breakfast, because both sides need to eat; we call a truce. We all get our rations, which are no where near as good as your cooking, but it's better than starving. It's easy to lose your appetite in the trenches when they're ridden with lice, frogs, slugs and rats, and smells three times worse than you could imagine. Not only have we not have a bath in weeks, but there also remains the smell of our dead companions and the smell of leftover poison gas. Not to mention the occasional snow-filled trenches, which are not nearly as bad as the ice-water filled ones. As you could imagine, all these unsanitary conditions make us very prone to outbreaks of fever and influenza. I'm just as lucky to not be sick as to not be killed by enemy fire.
    
Fortunately, in a few days I'll be transferred from the front line to the reserve lines. This means that I'll be in less immediate danger of enemy attacks, but I'll still be there for back up. I'm hoping to be able to survive this trench conditions long enough to taste your delicious dinners once more.

I hope I see you soon,
Sincerely,
John

This is a picture of a Red Cross first aid worker helping out the injured soldiers. There were a lot of injuries, and we were always grateful whenever we could get any sort of medical support. I think that the medics role in the war is equally if not greater than any soldier, because without them, there would be a lot less of us.

 

This is our General with his guard dog, and some of my fellow soldiers. The dog was a mascot of sorts, and helped encourage morale in the trenches when spirits were low. I think that he gave us the strength we needed to survive the battles, and was a great companion to all of us.

Falk, Jerry, et al. Social Studeis Eleven Student Workbook. Surrey: Hazelmere 
     Publishing, 2006. Print.


English Troops in a Trench / WWI. N.d. Universal Images Group. Encyclopaedia 
     Britannica Image Quest. Web. 6 Dec. 2010.


Red Cross men in the trenches attending to a wounded man. 1916. Bridgeman Art
     Library. Encyclopaedia Britannica Image Quest. Web. 6 Dec. 2010.


Duffy, Michael. "Life in the Trenches." firstworldwar. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec.
     2010.

Propaganda

Dear Family,

I am worried for I am already regretting my decision to enter the war. I am beginning to think that the government may have made it out to be something that it is not. In fact, the war is no where near as exciting or adventurous as they would have us believe, but instead, gloomy and depressing. Remember all those posters, pamphlets, and radio advertisements we used to see around town? Do you remember the ones with the soldiers and the slogans that made us want to join the war and buy victory bonds? They were suppose to make us feel patriotic and nationalistic so we'd donate soldiers and money to the war. Well, apparently they may have exaggerated a bit. The government uses these tactics to gain support, money, and soldiers for the war, and I suppose that since I'm here, it must have been effective.

A friend of mine has informed me that the government uses our emotions to manipulate us. They make us feel like we should support the war, when logically, it makes no sense at all. Not only do the pictures, such as those of our fellow soldiers in need or those of poor families being attacked by the Germans, make us feel like fighting, but even the colours that they use can subconsciously make us feel more powerful emotions. The posters gave us a sense of pride and compassion for our fellow soldiers, when in reality, we're just risking our lives.

Remember that poster that said 'Remember Belgium'? That was suppose to make us feel sympathetic for the poor wife and child. I just couldn't stand to stay back while those German soldiers took no mercy on that poor Belgian family. I suppose it worked, or else I would be home with you. (right).

Or Remember that other poster with that tough soldier that wanted us to buy Victory Bonds? Not only did it inspire us to purchase bonds, but also to become a soldier and fight that like courageous one in the picture did for our country. I suppose now I realize that no one is actually ever powerful as they made that single soldier look. (left)

Hopefully I will be able to write again soon,
Sincerely,

John

Lend the Way They Fight, Buy Bonds to Your Utmost'. 20th century. Bridgeman Art
     Library. Encyclopaedia Britannica Image Quest. Web. 4 Dec. 2010.

WWI / Propaganda / Remember Belgium. 1915. Private Collection, Paris. 

     Encyclopaedia Britannica Image Quest. Web. 4 Dec. 2010.

"Propaganda and World War 1." History Learning Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Dec.
     2010.