Artifact 3 Quick Thinking

Chlorine and ammonia gas were a new component of “modern warfare” during the First World War.  The Germans first used them during the battle of Ypres in 2015 on British, French and Canadian soldiers. This artefact is so unique for Canadians because in the image, you see all types of gas masks used by Allied countries, except for Canada. Canadian soldiers were not very well prepared or supplied during the first battles of the Great War. That means they lacked the necessary equipment, such as gas masks, to fulfil their soldiers' duties. Yet this didn't stop the Canadian soldiers from holding their line and doing their duty.  Thanks to some Canadian officers who took high school or university chemistry, they could make crude masks within minutes. “ Officers ordered  their men to  urinate on a cloth or bandage and then cover their mouths with it.” That quick thinking saved the lives of Canadian soldiers as the ammonia in the urine would crystallize and partly neutralize the chlorine in the gas. Even though these makeshift masks worked by saving lives, they couldn't stop severe eye irritation from the gas. Despite this, Canadian soldiers were able to hold their line.

Bibliography:  

Cook, Tim. No Place to Run : The Canadian Corps and Gas Warfare in the First World War. UBC Press, 1999, pg 25.

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