Yesterday, I went for my fourth vaccination and joined a medium sized queue. The vaccine receptionist asked me to keep an eye on two mature ladies in the queue who were sitting down waiting for their turn. The first went through, but the other came over and joined me and chatted away. We talked of the face masks we had to wear, mine is always so annoying, if my glasses don't steam up, they fall off my nose as I remove the face mask. She talked about wearing a gas mask as a child in the last war. How uncomfortable it was but every Friday they were made to sit through a school day wearing one.
Now Lillie and I argue as to who knows the most facts, she is doing this particular period for history. Now as a Doctor Who fan, I remember the series when all these little children (Empty Child) wandered around with gas masks on, totally frightening for my sensitive nature ;) But sadly the real gas masks were dangerous in themselves, having asbestos in their makeup - 10% of the workforce died of cancer related to this.
Read the article and find out that Churchill was not too adverse to using poisonous gases on the cities of the enemy.
"We could drench the cities of the Ruhr and many other cities in Germany in such a way that most of the population would be requiring constant medical attention... If we do it one hundred per cent. In the meanwhile, I want the matter studied in cold blood by sensible people and not by that particular set of psalm-singing uniformed defeatists which one runs across now here now there."
So the old quarrels of the liberals that we face today is but a streak that dominates our history. Churchill was prepared to get nasty in war and use gas, who stopped him I wonder? The photos of gas masks are terrifying, even if they did make Disney type ones for the children, so a lesser evil.
Gas masks
"Gas masks were neither easy nor comfortable to wear. The gas-like odour of rubber and disinfectant made many people feel sick. One child wrote: "Although I could breathe in it. I felt as if I couldn't. It didn't seem possible that enough air was coming through the filter. The covering over my face, the cloudy Perspex in front of my eyes, and the overpowering smell of rubber, made me feel slightly panicky, though I still laughed each time I breathed out, and the edges of the mask blew a gentle raspberry against my cheeks. The moment you put it on, the window misted up, blinding you. Our mums were told to rub soap on the inside of the window, to prevent this. It made it harder to see than ever, and you got soap in your eyes. There was a rubber washer under your chin, that flipped up and hit you, every time you breathed in... The bottom of the mask soon filled up with spit, and your face got so hot and sweaty you could have screamed."
I do not know why but I still have at home the gas masks we received in 1991 when missiles landed here from Iraq. The majority was a false panic.
ReplyDeleteBut nevertheless frightening Yael. Being on alert all the time must be very stressful.
DeleteIf my memory serve me right the threat from gas receded as the war went on.. I remember carrying them everywhere when war first started (I was 7) but less so later.
ReplyDeleteIt was, and is, for it is still used in warfare, a terrible suffering to inflict on people Pat. But perhaps a jot of compassion stopped its use.
DeleteGas masks sound horrific - I wonder whether they would actually have workd.
ReplyDeleteI think there was a slow movement away from them in the end. I wouldn't have thought they would have worked and as Pat says, the threat of gassing moved away.
DeleteWilliam, my grandson, was fascinated by gas masks and has a child sized one from WWII that we ordered from e-bay. He's so curious about that era, and when he puts that mask on, it gives me chills.
ReplyDeleteWilliam obviously likes the creepy side of things. See if you can find the Dr.Who series of 'Empty Child' for him, it might change his mind.
DeleteThey must have been horrid to wear. The only gas mask I ever saw was my uncle's, when he came back from the war.
ReplyDeleteThey are pretty scary to look at Joanne and must have been horrible to wear.
DeleteI still wear my mask when I go out. Feel safer with it. At home, I still have the mask against chemical warfare from the rockets attack - heavy and awkward (hope to never ever need it).
ReplyDeleteWell everyone wishes you will never have to use it Duta. Mask wearing has lessened here, but at the doctor's everyone was wearing one.
DeleteWith the passage of time Churchill has been deified and his flaws have been washed away. I am not so sure that he was a truly great man even though he made some great speeches. As for old gas masks and COVID masks, they had the advantage of blocking the odours of flatulence and other bodily aromas.
ReplyDeleteBut what about the smell of the rubber in the gas mask. War heroes eventually get pulled down by time and scrutiny of their records.
DeleteGosh, how absolutely horrid wearing a gas mask sounds. I don't mind wearing my Covid mask but do find that the Medical grade one I have gets a bit impenetrable if I am at the back of a warm shop and there's not much air about.
ReplyDeleteDo not panic, should be stamped on our Covid masks as our glasses steam up. There is only about 21% of oxygen around apparently Jennie.
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