Dogs were used as messengers during WWI. Dogs were blinded and masked before going into no man's land to deliver messages. The masks kept the gas from killing the dogs, and they were blinded so they wouldn't get scared of the chaos and run.
Men in the Trenches~
Trenches served as protection or a "safe place" for the soldiers to sleep, eat, and keep themselves safe from gunfire. The trenches were very small and held up to about 24 people in a 12-foot by 3-foot section. Floorboards in the Trenches were loose, and raw sewage ran under them.
The Shrapnel~
The shrapnel is a bullet that was used during WWI. The shrapnel caused many facial injuries. The twisted metal pieces from a shrapnel blast could rip someones face off. Surgeon Harold Gillies was terrified of the injuries and started helping people and maneuvered early ways of facial reconstruction, which led to the invention of plastic surgery.
Blood Transfusions during WWI~
The British Army began using blood transfusions in treating injured soldiers. The blood was transferred directly from one person to another. Blood was only kept on ice for up to 28 days max then transferred to casualty clearing stations used in life-saving surgery where it was needed the most.
The Canary Girls~
When a bunch of men went to fight the war, almost more than a million women took their place in the workforce. Women worked in bad conditions, long hours, and with dangerous chemicals. The women worked with TNT which gave them toxic jaundice which was hepatitis caused by chemicals. Toxic jaundice turned women's skin yellow.
The youngest British Soldier~
Sidney Lewis was only twelve years old when he decided to lie about his age and join the army during WWI. He was one of the many boys that were eager to become apart of the army. Some were motivated because of their depressing lives, or because of their strong belief in patriotism.
Journalist getting the death penalty~
Only about a handful of journalist risked their lives to update and report to people about the war. The government wanted the information from the frontline to not be known because it was helping the enemy. If they were caught, they faced the death penalty.
WWI Ships hiding in plain sight~
The artist and Royal Navy volunteer, Norman Wilkinson had an idea of covering ships in bold shapes and different colors. The opposite of the normal camouflage was supposed to confuse the enemy and not really hide the ships. It was important to protect the merchant ships carrying food and military supplies.
Soldiers banned from going over the top~
So many of the soldiers wanted to be closer to the fighting that they had to be banned from going over the top because they kept getting killed. The experience required to be a general was too significant to lose at the time.
