Video summary
British, Canadian and German soldiers describe the physical and mental strain of being under shell fire.
They describe the terror and the strange behaviour it caused in some men, and the small strategies others developed to cope with being trapped by incessant shell fire as a way of preventing the onset of shellshock.
Others only found relief when the barrage was lifted and they were instructed to go over the top.
This is from the series: I Was There: The Great War Interviews.
Teacher viewing recommended prior to use in class.
Teacher Notes
Key Stage 3:
Students explore the differing ways that life under shell fire affected soldiers.
They make notes under headings: physical; psychological; short term; long term.
Key Stage 4:
This is used to introduce an investigation into trench life.
It is presented as one interpretation of trench life, and students have to put together a critical view of trench life using this as a piece of evidence.
This clip will be relevant for teaching History at KS3, KS4/GCSE, in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.
Also at Third Level, Fourth Level, National 4 and National 5 in Scotland.
This topic appears in OCR, Edexcel, AQA, WJEC, CCEA GCSE and SQA.
The Christmas truce, 1914. video
Henry describes his reaction to being called up and his experiences in the trenches.
The Gallipoli campaign. video
Frank talks about fighting in the disastrous Gallipoli campaign in 1915.
War in the air. video
Pilots identify the different experiences of men in the air, recalling the realities of combat and the tactics used to down an enemy aircraft.
Being a pilot in WW1. video
Cecil Lewis’ experiences reflect how the role of aircraft changed in the course of WW1.
Fighting in the trenches. video
Stefan Westmann presents two contrasting experiences of the war.
Death and survival. video
The experiences of a disillusioned soldier and the widow of a soldier killed in action
