I’ve always had this fascination in WW1, or what was otherwise known as The Great War, and interestingly enough, it was the first time I came across a written description of a psychophic in the comic strip I used to read called Charley’s War in the form of the character Captain Snell.
http://downthetubes.net/?page_id=21061
It used to be in a comic book called Battle Stations and I used to read it every week growing up.
And obviously being from New Zealand, you grow up with the mythology of Gallipoli, and I was at the age where I had a Grandfather who served in WW2 and a Great Uncle who was killed in WW2.
When I went on my OE I visited places such as Gallipoli, Verdun, Dunkirk and Ieper and one of the best things that I did was to be upon on Chunuk Bair at Gallipoli all by myself for a whole hour, with no other people around, looking out over the Dardanelles,
https://keirybeesparis.wordpress.com/tag/chunuk-bair/
Which was one of the aims of the Gallipoli Campaigns and for a scene of such brutality and carnage, it was such a peaceful place.
And if anyone wants to explore and learn more about the 1st World War, I came across the Great War Youtube channel and it’s well worth exploring.
The Great War
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t_Gwo3M-uc
And you always come across information which is previously unmentioned.
Time Team – The Somme’s Secret Weapon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2pGoz4ZDgE
Gallipoli From Above
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdWyWWZVY98
And I spent quite a bit of time around Ieper, exploring the different areas and went and heard the last post being played at the Menin Gate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nACpXZyHOA8
Menin Road – Then and Now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKTRk7lrm7c
And it doesn’t matter how much you know about WW1, even after all these years, there is always new material and information surfacing about the great war