Netflix

[CINDERS]

Was watching the series on WWII when they broached the subject of "Shell Shock" "Battle Fatigue" that the soldiers suffered.
In it they stated the combat expectancy for a front line soldier was 284 days in the line which had me thinking about a soldier in the 1st WW.
From memory I think it was from the book A Larrikin on the Western Front about an Ausie diggers experience, anyway the story follows this chap whom I think landed at Gallipoli then to the Western Front to carry on the business there.

He was granted 1 weeks leave in London after 3 years solid fighting yes he went to the rear but often there were fatigue parties or long marches there & back, with Arty killing friends and civies alike along the way.
But true to the creed of sharing everything they the chaps & mates gave him a big wad of francs so he could really live it up as his mates might be dead when he got back
And given the truly appalling conditions and hopeless tactics its a wonder he kept the sanity together for that long at all.
As I was reading the book it just hit home what a sordid and horrid life they endured those chaps, true there were some really funny moments but death was always close.
And they knew nothing of shell shock and what it did to the nervous system I have watched a few doco's on it from WWI and it is not pretty to watch.

Just some thoughts on the different eras that were the world wars as we know them.

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[henry r]

One of the things that interests me is the way that psychologically messed up soldiers were viewed after the different conflicts.

I had always thought that shell shock was pushed aside and not talked about like combat fatigue post ww2 etc.

Then i read a series of novels written in the 1920's. The main character talks about an acquaintance that "is still a bit shell shocked" but he isn't looked down apon for it and is treated accordingly by all. It is just how he is now.
It surprised me to the point that it has stuck in my mind for 20 years.

[browningautorifle]

One of the things that interests me is the way that psychologically messed up soldiers were viewed after the different conflicts.

Or, viewed but ignored. We were ignored until about Yugo in '92 and then things started to transform. Sad to see some of the early guys just slip away unnoticed and later guys got the world by comparison. For those thinking this "Greatest generation" didn't suffer anything and were tougher or some such b*llshit, it just ain't so. I listened to my dad yelling for guys that weren't there any more until his death...and he drank himself there. I grew up knowing lots of the guys from WW1 that were just as bad. Then there's the ones after... When you look you see.

[Daan Kemp]

We had in the South African Army an excellent process of 'desensitizing/downloading/reintegrating/etc' soldiers coming out of operations. Took about a week or so, but delivered excellent results for getting back to life. We are talking operational deployment for three to six months without seeing anything except African bush. Wonderful life for a soldier, but it certainly presented unique challenges when you eventually got home.

Yes we still have challenges from previous operations when this process hadn't been implemented yet, and quite a few really senior guys who still regret they sidestepped/didn't go through the process.

[CINDERS]

One other aspect from one of the WWII soldiers who rotated home after 3 years of combat said of the home coming that the thing that affected him the most was the silence and lack of noise.
I agree with BAR on the matter that hopefully better systems are in place for the returning soldiers as the conflicts we have today remind me of what issues faced the forces in VN as who was Charlie now days its who is the terrorist and whilst they operate out of residential areas sadly civilians are being killed which no allied or NATO soldier would want.

My Brother in law a returned VN vet counselled for a fair while but the strain on him helping these chaps get over their VN tour/s took a toll on him eventually he had to give it away as it brought to many ghosts out of the closet and memories that he would rather stay buried he did not want to leave his mates but had to for his own sake.