Personal Encounters or Perceptions of "Shell-Shock"

[Tomb1302]

Hello,

 

I'm beginning my series of short-stories detailing a number of small and minute topics across the Great War, and my first one will revolve around 'shellshock'.

 

Before writing however, I thought it would add credibility and magnitude to my overall story if I incorporated a number of quotes or true accounts of soldiers witnessing their comrades suffering mentally, to truly convey my point.

 

Does anyone have any good accounts of shellshock being seen and documented by soldiers?

 

Thank you.

[Uncle George]

Graves writes of his own symptoms in ‘Goodbye to All That’. And about others’:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/nov/10/first-world-war-robert-graves-shellshock

 

He does have that reputation for inaccuracy, remember.

[DavidOwen]

My great grandfather wrote to the War Office in relation to his eligibility to be promoted from Second Lieutenant to Lieutenant. They replied asking for the names of Battalion Commanders who could vouch for him. He provided two names, one approved of his promotion, the other couldn't remember him so the WO asked for an alternative to which GGF replied his memory was affected by shellshock.

 

When I looked at the War Diary for the bn concerned GGF transferred in the day before the CO went back to England on leave, days later GGF is recorded as being sent to hospital "unfit". So the CO probably never met him. GGF never did get the promotion....

[Tomb1302]

Thank you both! Would it be accurate to describe a character as 'losing any kind of responsiveness, and expression in his eyes' and 'wandering across no man's land hopelessly'?

[DavidOwen]

3 minutes ago, Tomb1302 said:

Thank you both! Would it be accurate to describe a character as 'losing any kind of responsiveness, and expression in his eyes' and 'wandering across no man's land hopelessly'?

Have you done a search of the forum as there is bound to be lots here.

[Uncle George]

16 minutes ago, Tomb1302 said:

Thank you both! Would it be accurate to describe a character as 'losing any kind of responsiveness, and expression in his eyes' and 'wandering across no man's land hopelessly'?

 

This chap doesn't seem to have lost responsiveness. The account is from the autobiographical novel ‘Company K’ (1933) by William March:

 

 

[Tomb1302]

3 minutes ago, Uncle George said:

 

This chap doesn't seem to have lost responsiveness. The account is from the autobiographical novel ‘Company K’ (1933) by William March:

 

 

That is a chilling text. I suppose situations and reactions varied though, didn't they?

Edited 9 January , 2019 by Tomb1302

[BullerTurner]

Company K is one of my favourite Great War novels.  You might wish, if you haven't read it to do so.  It could prevent you from accidentally creating a short story which is apparently plagiaristic or seems cliched by comparison?  It is based on 113 vignettes, each associated to one of Marsh's co-combatants in that eponymous unit.

[kenf48]

I am currrently reading ‘Breakdown The crisis of shellshock on the Somme’

 

Well researched and many examples 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Breakdown-Crisis-Shell-Shock-Somme/dp/140870661X

 

Other books on the topic are available 

 

Ken

[jamtin]

 

'The Broken Years' by Bill Gammage has a number of soldiers accounts of shell shock including this one from Capt R.A. Goldrick in 1917:

'One of our men... went suddenly demented. The s.s had an electrifying effect on him... he dropped his rifle and... rushed out over the front line trench into NML, the Germans blazing away at him, then he turned and ran down between the lines of the two armies, then he turned again and raced into our... support trenches where men from the Battalion overpowered him, rolled him in blankets  and tied him up with rope. He was unwounded but evacuated raving mad.' 

 

and this is a handy article including symptoms and other suggested reading.

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/06/shell-shocked.aspx

cheers

mark

 

[Tomb1302]

Thank you all - Some great reads there.