成人快手

Video summary

Infantrymen recall the tense hours in the trenches prior to an attack.

As they went over the top, anxiety was replaced by terror as bodies fell all around.

Machine guns, rifles and shells all presented a serious threat to soldiers advancing towards enemy lines.

But even after suffering heavy casualties, units regrouped, reformed and got ready for the next attack.

This is from the series: I Was There: The Great War Interviews.

Teacher viewing recommended prior to use in class.

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Teacher Notes

Key Stage 3:

Students are asked to identify the main obstacles which would prevent a soldier reaching the enemy trench and decide which would be most difficult to overcome.

Key Stage 4:

This is used as part of a starter activity into an investigation into why the war got bogged down in the trenches.

This clip will be relevant for teaching History at KS3, KS4/GCSE, in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.

Also at Third Level, Fourth Level, National 4 and National 5 in Scotland.

This topic appears in OCR, Edexcel, AQA, WJEC, CCEA GCSE and SQA.

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Horace Leslie Birks interview. video

Tank commander Horace Birks describes the impact of the supposed miracle machines.

Horace Leslie Birks interview

John Willis Palmer interview. video

John found it difficult to cope with the violence and apparent pointlessness of the war.

John Willis Palmer interview

Attrition. video

The strains of war drove soldiers to desert their post or inflict a wound on themselves.

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Life as a munitionette. video

Mabel was one of many women who put their lives at risk working in munitions factories.

Life as a munitionette

Life as an officer during WW1. video

Charles talks about coping with looming shellshock and aspects of an officer's life.

Life as an officer during WW1

One woman's loss. video

Katie describes what the war was like from a young woman鈥檚 perspective in Manchester.

One woman's loss
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