General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
RE: also known as Shell Shock or LMF
Posted by:
JG
()
Date: April 18, 2001 01:50PM
<HTML>
>>MPC wrote:
-------------------------------
Hi Kate,
During the last war in the UK it was known as Lack of Moral Fibre and in the Great War \\\"shell shock\\\" - in both cases the persons concerned were thought of as \\\"cowards\\\".<<
PTSD is indeed very real. However, it is something that the various Governments do not wish to advertise as being \'very real\' for fear of massive compensation payments - look to Gulf War Syndrome as an example.
>>Modern thinking is changing. It is now realised that the majority of British soldiers excuted by firing squad in the Great War were not \\\"cowards\\\" but had suffered so much stress in battle that their nerves just gave way. Even people with gallantry awards (and previously regarded as heroes) were affected. We have no control over our minds in periods of extreme stress.<<
Indeed we do not. I think anyone who has been under fire or extreme stress has a touch of PTSD. Personal experience? Yes, I get very emotional when I hear the Last Post played, and seeing \'Saving Private Ryan\' left me cold for hours after, as well as prickly all over. If anyone touched me - made skin-skin contact - I tended to go all goosepimply nd was able to \'feel\' a wave of ice rush right through me.
>>In the Second World War I know that some members of the RAF bomber crews were affected and no doubt soldiers and sailors as well. Its the stress of battle which has only recently been appreciated by the medical profession and in wars of much shorter duration. Perhaps mankind is getting softer (?)<<
I wouldn\'t argue with that! I believe we are becoming \'softer\' due, in many ways, to a relaxation of discipline and the influx of the politically correct crowd who constantly tell us we need \'equal rights\' within the military. Hmm, sore point that one! I am against - and sorry if this upsets anyone - anyone serving who is not prepared to take it as it comes. Far too many of our servicemen moan and whinge about the \'brutality\' and \'inhumanity\' of military life - when it was always made clear it was there when you signed on. During war or other high stress periods there is an expectation of baseline conditions - but still people find time to moan about having to eat rations or go without a wash for, oh I don\'t know, a couple of weeks?
Yep, mankind is getting softer alright! They even truck recruits around nowadays when long marches were considered the norm! My kid brother is in the airforce, married ( he\'s a sarge BTW ) and he gets short notice postings to all sorts of places. 18 years on he realises that maybe he doesn\'t like it when he has to go somewhere at short notice - but he accepts it as his lot. We both say it is \'life in a blue suit\'! Quite a few of his mates quit because they no longer feel they should be travelling worldwide at short notice....and where did they end up? On civvy street, moaning how hard done by they were in uniform....!
>>There have been quite a number of publications/reports/papers published over the years but to be honest, I dont know where to loo....<<
Keywords. Falklands / Gulf / Vietnam. Other keywords: PTSD / Military Psychology...
Wish you luck Kate! What a subject area!
Aye,
John</HTML>
>>MPC wrote:
-------------------------------
Hi Kate,
During the last war in the UK it was known as Lack of Moral Fibre and in the Great War \\\"shell shock\\\" - in both cases the persons concerned were thought of as \\\"cowards\\\".<<
PTSD is indeed very real. However, it is something that the various Governments do not wish to advertise as being \'very real\' for fear of massive compensation payments - look to Gulf War Syndrome as an example.
>>Modern thinking is changing. It is now realised that the majority of British soldiers excuted by firing squad in the Great War were not \\\"cowards\\\" but had suffered so much stress in battle that their nerves just gave way. Even people with gallantry awards (and previously regarded as heroes) were affected. We have no control over our minds in periods of extreme stress.<<
Indeed we do not. I think anyone who has been under fire or extreme stress has a touch of PTSD. Personal experience? Yes, I get very emotional when I hear the Last Post played, and seeing \'Saving Private Ryan\' left me cold for hours after, as well as prickly all over. If anyone touched me - made skin-skin contact - I tended to go all goosepimply nd was able to \'feel\' a wave of ice rush right through me.
>>In the Second World War I know that some members of the RAF bomber crews were affected and no doubt soldiers and sailors as well. Its the stress of battle which has only recently been appreciated by the medical profession and in wars of much shorter duration. Perhaps mankind is getting softer (?)<<
I wouldn\'t argue with that! I believe we are becoming \'softer\' due, in many ways, to a relaxation of discipline and the influx of the politically correct crowd who constantly tell us we need \'equal rights\' within the military. Hmm, sore point that one! I am against - and sorry if this upsets anyone - anyone serving who is not prepared to take it as it comes. Far too many of our servicemen moan and whinge about the \'brutality\' and \'inhumanity\' of military life - when it was always made clear it was there when you signed on. During war or other high stress periods there is an expectation of baseline conditions - but still people find time to moan about having to eat rations or go without a wash for, oh I don\'t know, a couple of weeks?
Yep, mankind is getting softer alright! They even truck recruits around nowadays when long marches were considered the norm! My kid brother is in the airforce, married ( he\'s a sarge BTW ) and he gets short notice postings to all sorts of places. 18 years on he realises that maybe he doesn\'t like it when he has to go somewhere at short notice - but he accepts it as his lot. We both say it is \'life in a blue suit\'! Quite a few of his mates quit because they no longer feel they should be travelling worldwide at short notice....and where did they end up? On civvy street, moaning how hard done by they were in uniform....!
>>There have been quite a number of publications/reports/papers published over the years but to be honest, I dont know where to loo....<<
Keywords. Falklands / Gulf / Vietnam. Other keywords: PTSD / Military Psychology...
Wish you luck Kate! What a subject area!
Aye,
John</HTML>
| Subject | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in submariners
|
Kate | 04/17/2001 12:22AM |
|
RE: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in submariners
|
Capt. George W. Duffy | 04/17/2001 02:47PM |
|
RE: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in submariners
|
Capt. George W. Duffy | 04/17/2001 05:56PM |
|
Thanks!
|
Kate | 04/17/2001 07:13PM |
|
RE: also known as Shell Shock or LMF
|
MPC | 04/17/2001 08:55PM |
|
RE: also known as Shell Shock or LMF
|
Capt. George W. Duffy | 04/17/2001 09:40PM |
|
RE: also known as Shell Shock or LMF
|
James Stewart | 04/17/2001 10:49PM |
|
RE: also known as Shell Shock or LMF
|
Craig McLean | 04/18/2001 12:51AM |
|
Re: RE: also known as Shell Shock or LMF
|
WaianaeDon | 10/29/2014 06:07PM |
|
RE: also known as Shell Shock or LMF
|
JG | 04/18/2001 01:50PM |
|
\"And No Birds Sang\"
|
AL Wellman | 04/18/2001 02:34AM |
|
RE: \\\"And No Birds Sang\\\"
|
Kate | 04/18/2001 04:21PM |