| Submitted by: | emmam1994 |
| Date: | 02 / 27 / 2010 |
| Category: | World History |
| Words | Pages: | 345 | 2 |
| Views: | 111 |
Field Punishment Number One
In 1881, Flogging was abolished in the British Army. Major offences like abandonment and sleeping while on guard duty resulted four months imprisonment with hard labour and ten year penal servitude. Minor offences such as drunkenness resulted in Field Punishment Number One or FPNO. FPNO involved the offender tied to fixed object like a stake (usually in the shape of a cross) and spent up to two hours a day for a period of up to three months. Majority of the men who were sentenced to FPNO were put in a place near an enemy shell-fire.
Self-Inflicted Wounds/ Blighty Wounds
Soldiers were faced with the outlook of being killed or disabled, sometimes hoped that hey receive a ‘Blighty Wound’ or Self-Inflicted Wound (SIW) and be sent back home. Some soldiers attempted to shoot themselves to end their time in war. SIW was an offence and if discovered, a man found guilty had to face execution by Firing Squad. 3,894 men in the British Army were convicted of SIW. However, none of the men faced execution but rather a period of time in prison. When some men could not tolerate anymore, they stood up on the fire-step and allowed themselves to be shot by enemy. Some men killed themselves rather than carry on in the trenches.
Trench Foot
Majority of the men suffered Trench Foot in the First World War. Trench Foot is a serious infection of the feet which is caused by cold, wet and insanitary conditions. Many soldiers stood for hours in waterlogged trenches without being able to remove their socks or boots. The symptoms would normally be the feet going numb and the skin would turn red or blue. If trench foot is left untreated, it could turn gangrenous and the feet would have to have an amputation. The only way to prevent trench Foot is to change their socks and dry their feet several times a day. Soldiers were also told to cover their feet with a grease made from whale-oil.
Sign Up for a Free Account to View this Essay. Sign Up Now. It's Free!