Problems Returning Home: The British Psychological Casualties of the Great War

Abstract

. Although returning shellshocked soldiers constitute a specific subgroup, their situation also illustrates the wider difficulties of Great War returnees. Whether disabled or fully fit, each veteran faced a cluster of problems related to the psychological and social readjustment to civilian society. Rightly or not, many felt that the promises for the postwar world were unfulfilled. War neurotic exservicemen faced two areas of difficulty. First, like all returnees, they had to deal with a large and unwieldy bureaucracy that paid little attention to the needs of individuals. Second, Ministry of Pensions policy for war neurotic ex-servicemen, guided by Sir John Collie, tended to exacerbate the faults in the system. Substantial political objectives were implicit in the establishment of the Ministry of Pensions, not least because of the appointment of Collie -an influential expert on malingeringas one of its leading authorities. His approach conveniently fitted into the government's agenda. Its objectives were to uphold and support a restrictive military view of shellshock and thereby limit financial liability ; and above all to preserve the existing distribution of wealth while maintaining a visible response to public concern.

“No man's land”: the transition to civilian life

“…In terms of pre-existing vulnerability, research has noted that a decision to join the military often reflects underlying problems such as risk factors for hostility, substance dependency, or a need to escape adversity at home (Iversen et al, 2007;Kapur et al, 2009). Family break-ups have been cited as a key difficulty experienced by ex-service personnel early on in the transitional process, with family members growing apart due to differences in experiences, values and standards, or delayed feelings of guilt over long-term separation and neglect (Leese, 1997). Service leavers from past conflicts are also reported to have experienced an uncertainty of purpose upon leaving the forces; appearing to stem from the fact that whereas civilian life engenders a certain degree of independent action, service personnel are largely accustomed to being dependent upon the military structure (Rogers, 1944).…”

‘I Don’t Want Anything Like That’: The Coercion of British Women and Girls into Domestic Service, 1918–1928

“…47 While the men were not British, it still provides an indication of the adjustment 'war neurotic' ex-servicemen faced when re-entering civilian life. 48 Of those classified as 'neurotic', 22 per cent could work full-time but 'continued to suffer from one or more rather severe nervous difficulties'. The largest group, 38.9 per cent, were considered 'normal' and able to fulfil their role as breadwinners, but not without symptoms.…”