Helping the wounded – Artificial Limbs of WW1 | Illustrated London News
from the archives of The Illustrated London News
Contact Us
|
Create an Account
Sign In
Main menu
Home
Timeline
Timeline
1914
Franz Ferdinand assassinated
Europe declares war
Recruitment begins
Battle of Mons
Battle of the Marne
Battle of the Aisne
East Coast bombed
1915
Edith Cavell executed
Poison gas introduced
Gallipoli Campaign begins
RMS Lusitania sunk
Munitions Ministry created
1916
Verdun Offensive begins
Battle of Jutland
Somme Offensive begins
1917
USA enters the war
W.A.A.C. established
The Battle of Passchendaele
1918
Rationing introduced
Russian Armistice signed
Operation Michael begins
Hundred Days Offensive
Spanish Flu peaks
Armistice signed
1919
Peace Treaty signed at Versailles
Cenotaph unveiled
The ILN at War
Titles
The Illustrated War News
The Illustrated London News
The Sphere
The Tatler
The Bystander
The Sketch
The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News
The Graphic
Buy the Magazine
Topics
War Artists
Teaching
Blog
Search
Show/hide Advanced search
Publication
The Illustrated War News
The Illustrated London News
The Sphere
The Tatler
The Bystander
The Sketch
Sporting & Dramatic News
From
To
Home
Blog
Helping the wounded
Helping the wounded
The use of new and incredibly destructive weaponry, such as the machine-gun, caused unprecedented damage to soldiers’ bodies in the First World War.
It was estimated that as many as 250,000 British soldiers lost limbs with one million casualties worldwide.
The job prospects for men now adjusting to their new identity as a “cripple” were less than hopeful. The British government provided help by offering free artificial limbs. The Illustrated London News published articles on the prosthetics available to soldiers, such as those designed by the Carne Artificial Limb Company, to make their lives easier. One British report, however, suggested that men who had lost a leg or legs preferred to use crutches or a peg leg than an artificial limb provided by the state, which were often bulky and cumbersome. Of course, better quality prosthetics were available to people who could pay for them but generally they were out of the price range of the average British soldier.
Related articlesReplacing Lost Limbs: Marvellous Artificial Arms and LegsOf the many types of wonderful mechanical arms and legs now on the market, three of the most interesting are here illustrated-the Rowley leg, the Hanger leg, and the Carne…
Find us onTwitter
History Pin
DiscoverTimeline
The ILN at War
War Artists
Titles
Topics
HelpHow to Use This Site
Terms and Conditions
Privacy
CompanyAbout Us
Contact Us
Copyright and Credits
© 2014 Copyright ILN LIMITED. All rights reserved.
This site uses cookiesNo problemMore info