End of the Great War saw death toll increase because of Spanish Flu

Nurses cared for victims of the Spanish influenza epidemic outdoors amidst canvas tents as part of the “fresh air cure” initiative.

many would not. Their remains were buried in military graves close by to where the forward hospitals were situated, those burial sites have now become the Commonwealth War Grave Cemeteries that we see today.

Burton’s newspapers published a copy of the memorial scroll signed by the King, which would be sent to all the families of those who have fallen in the Great War.

Unfortunately a lot of those men still at the front who were waiting for news of what the next step would be, became victims of what came to be called the “Spanish Flu”.

The 1918–1919 influenza pandemic killed more people than any other outbreak of disease in human history.

The lowest estimate of the death toll is 21 million, with other estimates from 50 to 100 million dead.

Consider that at that time world population was about 30 per cent of what it is today, and

most deaths occurred in a sixteen week period, from midSeptember to mid-December of 1918.

Many people still ask the question today, did this pandemic actually start in Spain?

The answer is no but scientist still to this day are not entirely certain where this illness of catastrophic deadly effect actually started.

One reason why it got its name was that due to wartime censorship, especially of anything that might affect morale, could not be reported.

Spain was a country that had remained neutral throughout the war and so was in a position to report the news that millions of people, including King Alfonso XIII, had been taken ill.

Spain was the first place where people learned of this fearful illness, hence why it got its name the “Spanish Flu”.

When one considers that an estimated 17 million worldwide were attributed to have been

killed as a direct consequence of the Great War, and that was over a period of four years, more than 21 million deaths in four months must have been frightening.

Approximately 300 deaths had occurred among the people of Burton and district in that time.

From September through to well into 1919, soldiers were particularly vulnerable and many died as a result.

Something else that caused anxious anticipation among people at home was “just when would our men be coming home now that the war was over”?

Families wanted to see their soldiers, sailors and airmen return as soon as possible; after all if they were at home they would be safe.

As far as the army in France and Belgium was concerned they stood still on the line they held on November 11.

It took more than a week before politicians from all the