![]() ![]() Those men with "very severe facial disfigurement" were seen as have their "sense of self and social existence" completely compromised by their service to the country. For example, in the United Kingdom, disfigured soldiers were often the only soldiers who were entitled to a complete war pension. Why were the masks created?īattered war veterans' home nations would attempt to help them as best they could. The brave young men would have to live with their severe disfigurements for the rest of their life. Often parents would not be able to recognize their returning children, and were, all too often, horrified by their injuries. Whilst many were killed outright, others would survive their horrendous injuries and return home, forever mauled by war. This task fell to men on both sides, like the author's grandfather. No man's land at the Somme from the Canadian frontline, circa 1916. Many of their friends and comrades were later tasked with searching for the wounded or collecting pieces of the fallen for burial. Their explosions would send searing hot flying metal in all directions, tearing through flesh like a knife through butter. Here they often had no cover as they were bombarded, en masse, with shrapnel shells. The stalemate of the Western front and trench warfare tended to increase the propensity for facial injuries as soldiers peered over the parapets.īut many more sustained their horrendous injuries in no man's land. Facial injuries were usually of little concern to survivors who were simply happy that they'd survived the encounter.īut the weaponry unleashed on the front lines during WW1, like heavy artillery, machine guns, and poison gas, would change all that forever. Prior to this horrendous war, most battlefield injuries were caused by small arms and sword cuts. He was wounded in the arm and survived the war. The author's grandfather, James McFadden (Royal Irish Rifles), fought in the Somme and was only 16 when he lied about his age to enlist. Young men, many just young teenagers who'd lied about their age to enlist, would be slaughtered on an industrial scale.īut many would consider them the lucky ones. By war's end, millions of soldiers and civilians would be dead and many more physically and psychologically scarred for life. The First World War, far from " being over by Christmas", would prove to be one of the bloodiest conflicts in history. We will remember them.” - Laurence Binyon The dead were the lucky ones "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:Īge shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.Īt the going down of the sun and in the morning, We would like to dedicate this article to the millions of soldiers who fought and died on both sides of the conflict. ![]()
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