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[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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