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Remembered Today:

Shell Shock


andrew pugh

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Good Evening All

I watched a program on TV last night concerning the impact on Shell Shock and how it affected our troops. Is there any documentation regarding the Shell Shock of German soldiers and did it impact them as much as our lads?

Regards

Andy

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I didn't watch it. The blurb rather put me off as it seemed to be conflating PTSD and Shell Shock. Please tell me that the previews were wrong.

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It was more a case of describing the continual evolution of understanding and treating the mental effects of fighting and being under fire, including case studies from both world wars, the Falklands and Afghanistan. I found it interesting to watch, and not just because an RNMS colleague of mine was involved.

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Thanks Jane. 

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I would say that the GW section was probably weakest as it didn't tell me in general anything I didn't know already, though the case study was new to me.

 

 

Edited by seaJane
clarity
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I find it odd that Prof. Jones and Simon Weesly consistently state in various programmes and talks that shell shock and PTSD are not the same thing but presenters seem to not hear the statement. Also rather deflated that Dan Snow consigned the Hurst Netley- Sealed Hayne footage as 'untrustworthy' and therefore having no value in the shell shock story. 

TEW

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There have been issues raised about the Netley/Seale Hayne films before, although it may be that I saw the relevant presentation at a conference, and it didn't make it to public viewing. I'll try to dig the relevant memory out of its file in my brain!

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It also passed without mention of Craglochart and other lesser known similar establishments. Whilst Desperate Dan indicated a continuum of war related mental illness indicating the problems, unsurprisingly the  definitions, differences, etc were somewhat lost. Equally I can do without the amount of personal passion he injected - particularly his lapses into personal guilt. That said, seen worse.

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1 hour ago, David Filsell said:

It also passed without mention of Craglochart and other lesser known similar establishments. Whilst Desperate Dan indicated a continuum of war related mental illness indicating the problems, unsurprisingly the  definitions, differences, etc were somewhat lost. Equally I can do without the amount of personal passion he injected - particularly his lapses into personal guilt. That said, seen worse.

I get your point, but the media will go on asking for "the personal touch" :)

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59 minutes ago, stiletto_33853 said:

Andy,

Find attached an article regarding Psychiatry and casualties of war in Germany 1914 - 18. Possibly of interest to you.

 

Andy

Psychiatry and Casualties of War, Germany 1914-18.pdf

 

While we're about it, I don't suppose you've spotted anything on RN Great War similarly, outwith the Journal of the RNMS?

(thanks)

sJ

 

 

Edited by seaJane
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Yes, didn't mean to hijack Andrew's topic. I'm sure there is period German footage of shell shocked Germans or I think the term is Kriegsneurose. Perhaps YouTube will have footage.

The Netley/SH film issue stems from a book on Netley by Philip Hoare released partly in conjunction with a TV documentary and talk at Netley Chapel that I posted on and attended maybe 4 years ago. Prof Jones and Hoare correctly I think showed that some footage does'nt follow the timeline claimed. In other words, there are recreations of symptoms. I think in the last week I've seen or heard 3 media events that just dismiss the entire footage as fake and worthless as an historical record. Local radio man said 'those soldiers didn't actually have the symptoms depicted'.

Of course, they continue to use footage of Bradshaw and his shaky leg to demonstrate the horrors of war and cruelty of the Army when his truth is far from that.

TEW

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Good article Andy - fascinating to see another culture's take on the similar effects.

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AH was of course suffering from 'shell shock'  (or whatever term we now chose to use for a mental affliction caused by shell, war, combat, etc). He went blind, (being placed in German specialist psychiatric establishment only followed diagnosis of such 'injury' from normal hospitals - they did not go straight to such specialist clinics direct from the front). When diagnosed he was treated for 'hysterical blindness'  at a clinic in Passwalk by Doctor Edmund Forster. The complete story is told in Dr David Lewis' book The Man who Invented Hitler (Also material by Lewis online) 

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There is some German footage on youtube, VERDUN.

TEW

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