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Showing posts with the label World War I

Hospitals during World War I

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Possibly the worst conflict in human history, during World War I (1914- 1918) there were no families not affected by the end of the First World War. The 38 million casualties in Great Britain and a further 17 million deaths not only the military but also civilians. As you can imagine many, many hospitals were needed to treat the wounded and the people also effected mentally. As a result most manor houses became military hospitals and bases. Not only were there hospitals based just behind the Frontline in France and Belgium, there were also hospitals based in England. There were manor house hospital bases such as Kentwell Hall but generally original hospitals were used such as the one at Birmingham University. If a soldier was wounded or caught a disease in the Frontline trenches then depending on the severity of the injury they stranded a chance of survival but there was little chance for survival for those who were shot down in the charge across No Man's Land because they w...

Wilfred Owen

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Probably the most remembered  war poet of all time, Wilfred Owen is known for being the man behind the memorable poems such as: The Anthem for Doomed Youth, Dulce et Decorum dest and  To Eros. Sadly, Owen was killed in action exactly one week (and nearly to the hour) before the end of the First World War, in France aged only 25 years old.  Wilfred Edward Salter Owen's was born on 18th March 1893 to Thomas and Harriet Susan Owen in Shropshire. Owen was the eldest of four siblings- Harold, Collin, Mary and Millard. Harriet Susan had high hopes for her eldest son and was extremely proud of him. As a young child Owen lived with his parents in a house owned by his maternal mother's father- Edward Shaw, but after Mr. Shaw's death in 1897, the house was put up for sale and the Owens faced an economic crisis. The family moved to the back streets of Birkenhead where Thomas (Tom) Owens had a temporary job, working for the local station. Thomas was then transferred to Shrewsb...