The Science Museum's Exhibition 'Wounded: Conflict, Casualties and Care' explores medical developments made as a consequence of WW1 and the treatment of those wounded in action on the Western Front. However, the exhibition creates some surprising juxtapositions...
However, some of the exhibits which stood out most were those which presented the human side of war and the emblems of normality which became so precious. For instance, the potentially life-saving provision of comfort and warmth to those risk of going into circulatory shock (a major killer) was recognised. For those at risk of going to shock, the provision of basic yet scarce and highly sought after commodities which reminded soldiers of home, such as tea, Bovril and tobacco, were sometimes just enough to help them pull through. Manufacturers, naturally, seized this opportunity to market products to worried families, as this advert shows...
The final case in the exhibition contains a number of items added by modern day veterans, though a collaboration between the Science Museum and the charity Combat Stress. The testimony of one soldier describes how this monster toy, bought by his fiancee as a funny gift, became almost a personification of his PTSD symptoms and a way to channel negative feelings during the course of recovery. Although medical approaches to military PTSD have come a long way from early understanding of 'shell shock' and a range of therapies are now available, many soldiers and their families struggle to access the help they need. The toy exhibited here seems to represent a combination of support accessed through Combat Stress, a personal coping mechanism and family support.