World War 1

Weapons and equipment:
. The bayonet was a comparatively simple weapon: a bracketed dagger attached to the end of a rifle barrel.
. 1914 Pattern Leather Equipment
Helmets:
. Pith helmet: The Pith helmet is a lightweight helmet made of cork or pith, with a cloth cover, designed to shade the wearer's head from the sun.
. Brodie helmet: The first delivery of a protective steel helmet to the British Army
. Gas helmets: used to protect soldiers from gas in 1915
. The Trench watch was a type of watch that came into use by the military during World War 1, as pocket watches were not practical in combat.
. Rifles: The rifle was standard issue for infantrymen from each country
. Pistols: in World War I, pistols or revolvers were issued mainly to officers
. The image of infantrymen charging pointlessly into machine-gun fire is a common motif of the war.
. Grenades are small bombs, thrown by hand or launched from a rifle attachment, which are detonated on impact or by a timer.
. Mortars launched grenades or small bombs short distances.
. Torpedos are self-propelled missiles that can be launched from submarines or ships
. Mines were large bombs or explosive charges, planted underground and detonated remotely or by the impact of soldiers’ feet.
Battle of Somme:
The battle of Somme was fought between Britain and France against Germany. It took place between 1 July and 18 November 1916 on both sides of the river Somme in France. More than 1,000,000 men were wounded or killed, making it one of the bloodiest battles in human history. The main reason for the battle of the Somme was to take pressure off the French army, which had been under heavy attack at Verdun since February, and was close to cracking. It was hoped that a major British offensive on the Somme would force the Germans to withdraw troops from Verdun. The offensive was a disastrous failure, the British suffering some 418,000 casualties, 60,000 of them (including 20,000 dead) on the first day. Far from breaking through the German lines and winning the war, the ground gained by the British consisted of a strip of territory 20 miles long and, at its furthest penetration, 7 miles deep. Further, although the Germans also suffered heavy casualties