THE FIRST WORLD WAR IN OBJECTS
Despite the fact that major offensives were the exception rather than the rule for those serving on the Western Front, the risk of death or injury constantly stalked the men in and around the forward trenches.
As early as 23 July 1915, Reginald McKenna MP, the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Asquith’s coalition government, concerned at the continually expanding casualty lists, wrote to Lord Kitchener, the Secretary of State for War. In his letter, McKenna noted that ‘total casualties (i.e.casualties of all kinds) take place at the rate of 1 in 15 per month of all the men in France.
Among casualties approximately 1/5th are killed, 1/5th are missing, and 3/5th are wounded. Of the wounded 2/5th do not return to the Army. The irrecoverable wastage is therefore 1/5+1/5+2/5 of 3/5 = 16/25 or 64 per cent.’
One of those referred to by McKenna as ‘irrecoverable wastage’ was Private 3015 Charles Taylor, who was serving in the 1st/8th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders when he was killed. His nephew, Alan Sheldon, recalled that ‘at the age of 19, my mother’s brother, Charles Taylor, was keen to go to war. He was not accepted. He joined Salford Lads’ Club thinking that he wo…
