Did WW1 soldiers get frostbite?

Despite the extra layers, many of the men still fell victim to frostbite and trench foot.

What is frostbite WW1?

Frostbite is identified as: Injury to body tissues caused by exposure to extreme cold, typically affecting the extremities and often involving only the skin, which initially becomes white and hard, but in severe cases resulting in gangrene of deeper tissues and loss of the affected parts.

How cold did it get in WW1?

The trenches were muddy, cold with miserable conditions. Many soldiers died from simply being exposed to the cold, as the temperature was often below zero within the trenches in winter. Soldiers would sometimes lose fingers and toes due to exposure to extreme cold.

How many cases of frostbite were there between November and December 1914?

-In Winter the problem was flooding & frostbite, in November & December 1914 there were 6,500 cases of frostbite. -Rat infestations caused diseases. -Out of 200,000 men taken to Casualty Clearing Stations (CCS) 58% of them had shrapnel wounds.

What did trench foot look like?

Symptoms of trench foot include a tingling and/or itching sensation, pain, swelling, cold and blotchy skin, numbness, and a prickly or heavy feeling in the foot. The foot may be red, dry, and painful after it becomes warm. Blisters may form, followed by skin and tissue dying and falling off.

Why did soldiers get trench foot?

Trench foot, or immersion foot syndrome, is a serious condition that results from your feet being wet for too long. 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.

Did soldiers pee in their boots?

Soldiers used urine for almost anything! They pissed on their boots to soften the leather. They even pissed on their machine-guns to stop them warping from overheating! Urine was ideal for several applications in the trenches. It was easily accessed and in plentiful supply.

Why does the skin on my feet turn white when wet?

It is a bacterial infection caused by damp, warm conditions. It is common on the feet because they are stuck in shoes and socks, so sweat cannot evaporate.

How did soldiers get rid of rats?

They did not even shoot these rats because that would be pointless and waste of ammunition. However, many soldiers fired bullets and used bayonets to kill these rats. Usually, Cats and terriers were kept by soldiers in the trenches to cope with rats. Terriers were more effective in killing rats as compared to cats.

How did whale oil prevent trench foot?

Inside the trenches, British soldiers covered their feet in whale oil to protect them from trench foot and they warmed themselves around whale oil stoves. Above the trenches, British pilots smeared whale grease on their faces to protect them from the cold.

Why did they kill whales for oil?

A single large sperm whale could yield as much as three tons of sperm oil. However, the use of whale oil declined in the mid-1800’s as kerosene and other petroleum products started replacing its use. Indigenous people also hunted whales because of their meet to fulfil their basic survival needs.

Which whale has the most oil?

sperm whales

What were soldiers told to cover their feet with?

As well as drying their feet, soldiers were told to cover their feet with a grease made from whale-oil. It has been estimated that a battalion at the front would use ten gallons of whale-oil every day.

What did the trenches smell like?

The trenches had a horrible smell. They could smell cordite, the lingering odour of poison gas, rotting sandbags, stagnant mud, cigarette smoke, and cooking food. Although overwhelmed at first, new arrivals soon got used to it and eventually became part of the smell with their own body odour.

What is jungle rot Vietnam War?

Trench foot occurs when your feet are exposed to damp, unsanitary, and cold conditions. A French army doctor first described the condition in 1812. During the Vietnam war, soldiers got the same condition when they wore soggy boots in the jungle all day and night. They called it “jungle rot.”

Were there rats at Gallipoli?

Rats – brown and black – thrived literally in their millions among trenches in most Fronts of the war, be it Eastern, Italian, Gallipoli – but primarily the Western Front. Trench conditions were ideal for rats. Empty food cans were piled in their thousands throughout No Man’s Land, heaved over the top on a daily basis.

How did they kill rats in ww1?

Many troops were awakened by rats crawling across their faces. Cats and terriers were kept by soldiers in the frontline trenches to help free them of disease-carrying rats. The terriers were actually very effective in killing rats.