Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

World War 1, Nurses and Wounded Diorama, France, 1918

Subcollections
Uniform Discovery Trek
Overview

Two mannequins illustrating a battlefield scene from October 1918 on the Western Front. A German prisoner of war is guiding a mustard gas blinded digger from the Regimental Aid Station back to the Field Ambulance

Historical information

As a chemical weapon, mustard gas was first used in World War I, and has been used in several armed conflicts since then, including the Iran–Iraq War, Mustard agents can be deployed by means of artillery shells, aerial bombs, rockets, or by spraying from aircraft.

Mustard gases have powerful blistering effects on victims. They are also carcinogenic and mutagenic alkylating agents. Their high lipophilicity accelerates their absorption into the body. Because mustard agents often do not elicit immediate symptoms, contaminated areas may appear normal. Within 24 hours of exposure, victims experience intense itching and skin irritation. If this irritation goes untreated, blisters filled with pus can form wherever the agent contacted the skin.[4] As chemical burns, these are severely debilitating. If the victim's eyes were exposed, then they become sore, starting with conjunctivitis (also known as pink eye), after which the eyelids swell, resulting in temporary blindness. Extreme ocular exposure to mustard gas vapors may result in corneal ulceration, anterior chamber scarring, and neovascularization

Details

Details

Registration number
cwa-org-32-54-335
Inscriptions and markings

Because of the hazards, German POWs acting as stretcher bearers were allowed to wear their helmets and retain their respirators (gas masks). The use of prisoners of war as stretcher bearers was a permitted activity under the deneva Conventions.

Contextual Information

At the Australian Army Museum of Western Australia, the story of stretcher bearers and the medical evacuation chain is presented in a series 0f exhibits in the World War 1 Gallery.

Links to additional resources
Stretcher Bearers
Medical Evacuation Chain Poster
Medical Evacuation Chain Catalogue
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

Organisation Details
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Item Feedback

"A museum exhibit featuring two life-sized statues of World War I soldiers dressed in period uniforms. One soldier appears to be supporting the other, who is wounded and wearing a long coat. The background depicts a trench warfare scene, adding a historical and immersive context to the display."

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