Medicine in the Trenches

Medicine Through Time – The British Sector of the Western Front, 1914-18

In this course, Dr Jessica Meyer (University of Leeds) takes us on a journey through the chain of medical evacuation during World War I. We start by looking at how soldiers were cared for day-to-day in the trenches. We then look at first response and first aid in ‘no man’s land’ and the trenches. After this, we’ll examine the field ambulance in closer detail. We’ll then see how overseas medical care worked during the First World War, taking a closer look at medical transport from the stretcher-bearers to the hospital train. In the final module, we look at military and convalescent hospitals back in Britain.

Medicine in the Trenches

In this module, we look at how soldiers were cared for day-to-day in the trenches. We have a look at who was responsible for medical care, what sorts of medical problems men faced, and what measures were instituted to prevent these. Crucial to all this was hygiene - the task of keeping men and their quarters as clean as possible.