More Interesting Facts about WW1

• An explosion on the battlefield in France was heard in England.
• WW1 journalists risked their lives to report on the war. 
• 12 million letters were delivered to the frontline every week. 
• Plastic surgery was invented because of WW1. 
• The youngest British soldier in WW1 was just 12 years old.

TANKS HAD GENDERS

At the beginning of the war, tanks were grouped according to their 'gender'. The male tanks had cannons attached while the females carried machine guns. 

 WOMEN'S SKIN TURNED YELLOW

WWI saw many women join the working forces. Those who worked with TNT saw their skin turn yellow as a result, as they suffered from toxic jaundice.

 EXPLOSIONS IN FRANCE WERE HEARD IN LONDON

A team of miners worked in secret to dig tunnels under the trenches during the war in order to plant and detonate mines there. The detonations destroyed much of the German front line and were so great, the prime minister then heard the sound in London, 140 miles away.

WWI SAW PIONEERING ADVANCES IN MODERN MEDICINE

Inspired by the sight of soldiers' faces ravaged by shrapnel, many of which remained covered by masks, Harold Gillies established the field of plastic surgery, pioneering the first attempts of facial reconstruction. As well as this, blood transfusions became routine to save soldiers, with the first blood bank established on the front line in 1917.

FRANZ FERDINAND'S LICENCE PLATE WAS THE CAUSE OF A STRANGE COINCIDENCE

Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated on June 28th 1914, an event which led to the beginning of the war. Strangely, the Archduke's number plate read: A 111 118, a series that can be read as, Armistice 11 November '18.

BOTH NATIVE AMERICANS AND AFRICAN AMERICANS SERVED DURING THE WAR

Despite the fact that they weren't granted citizenship in America until 1924, nearly 13,000 Native Americans fought during the war.

Over 200,000 African Americans also served, but only 11% in combat and this in segregated divisions.

THE YOUNGEST AUTHENTICATED COMBATANT TO SERVE WAS ONLY 12

Many young men faked their age in order to sign up early. The youngest to do so was Sidney Lewis, who was only 12 years old at the time.

WOODROW WILSON RAN HIS CAMPAIGN FOR A SECOND PRESIDENTIAL TERM WITH AN ANTI-WAR SLOGAN

"He kept us out of war" was the slogan Woodrow Wilson adopted when he ran for his second term in office. However, he immediately reneged on this concept when he was sworn in, declaring war on Germany only around a month later.