Soldiers throng streets as former POWs disagree
added phosgene, making a much more deadly combination.
According to the paper, the Royal Engineers found an antidote to every kind of gas used, developing a so-called `black veil’ respirator, `hypo-helmet’ and flannelette helmet which had a chemical impregnation which, it was said, provided protection against phosgene.
`This helmet was introduced in August, 1915, four months before the Germans used phosgene, and from that time Britain was always six months ahead of Germany in the gas defensive and offensive preparations,’ the paper added.
So-called `large box respirators were later supplied to troops such as machine gunners while `small gas respirators’ were developed and distributed to all troops. A total of 20,000,000 small gas respirators were made.
We now know poisoned gas caused 1.3 million casualties in WW1. Of 91,000 deaths attributed to gas, 85 per cent were due to inhalation of phosgene or a similar agent, diphosgene. Stirling’s streets, in the runup to Christmas, 1918, were said to be busier than for some time with soldiers in uniform. This was due to the Christmas and New Year leave which had been granted.
*** The Observer lamented the what it termed the `capture’ by the Independent Labour Party of the Discharged Sailors and Soldiers Association. The paper claimed this had led to the resignation of the president of the association’s Stirling branch, a Sgt Hetherington.
`The association was established on a nonpolitical basis and men who were good soldiers and good trades unionists object to being absorbed by the Labour Party whose members stopped work and went on strike for higher wages when our armies in field were in (dire straits) for munitions to meet the Germans’ great push,’ added the paper.’ The Observer hit out at the `impudence’ of the ILP for infiltrating `the only true body who will see that justice is done to the discharged men, adding: `The best class of ex-soldier will see through this pretence but unfortunately the younger element , many of who had to go and fight against their will, are now out for all they can make like their brethren who skulked in munitions work at home.’
*** There was an angry letter in the Observer from ex-prisoner of war, from Bannockburn, Mr Angus McFadyen.
He was commenting on a statement from another Bannockburn POW who said he and two other returning POWs agree that though made to work hard they were not very badly treated. Mr McFadyen said he was one of the three soldiers referred to in the statement and it did not represent his view.
He said since his arrival home, he had made a written statement to the War Office complaining about the `brutal and inhumane treatment I and my comrades received at the hands of the Hun’.
Regarding the `hard work’ also alluded to in the statement, Mr McFadyen said most British POWs tried to dodge it, which led to a lot of hardship and imprisonment.
``We considered it our duty as British soldiers to cause the enemy as much trouble as possible and we took our punishment cheerfully enough,” he added.