I brought this back from Kent for my colleague at The Drop In Centre because he’s got an interest in Train Travel.

Remembering the fallen who fought for our future, I thought I would share with you these 15 amazing facts about WW1.

1. A British Solider had to be a minimum of 19 years old to serve overseas, however many soldiers lied about their ages. As young as 12, a quarter of a million soldiers were underage.

2. The life expectancy of the trenches was around 6 weeks. The people most at risk were stretcher bearers and junior officers.

3. When soldiers returned home, there was an increase in babies by 45 percent. However, the 1918 influenza pandemic killed more people from around the world than the actual war.

4. Before gas masks, the soldiers only protection against the gas attacks was a rag soaked in their own urine. Edward Harrison saved thousands of people’s lives by inventing the first practical Gas Mask.

5. While in the trenches it was known that soldiers could become highly superstitious, and some believed angels appeared over the trenches to save them from death.

6. German Trenches were much more advanced than those of their allies. They were built to last, and some were known to even have doorbells.

7. 65 million men worldwide from 30 countries fought.

8. A third of deaths in the war were caused by a disease. 150,000 of these were venereal, caused by the brothels that were set up behind the front-lines.

9. 25,000,000 tons of supplies were shipped to British forces on the Western Front. This included 3,000,000 tons of food, and 5,000,000 tons of oats, and hay for the horses.

10. The Government banned the use of rice at weddings in 1917 because of the food shortages.

11. Dead horses were melted down for their fat, this was used in explosives. At the very height of the war, the British Army had nearly a million horses.

12. In 1918 we were spending £6,000,000 a day on the war. The total cost was believed to be around 9 thousand million pounds.

13. Lord Kitchener was the male who posed pointing his finger for the “Your country needs you” posters. He died when the ship he was on hit a German mine in 1916.

14. 346 British soldiers were killed by their own army. Mainly for deserting. Some were strapped to a post, or gun wheel within the range of enemy fire.

15. The top British Ace was Major Edward Mannock who shot down 61 enemy planes. The top German Ace was Baron von Richthofen who shot down 80.

If you know some more interesting, amazing facts about the war then please add them in the comments section below!

I have just had a nice non battered sausage’s and chips for lunch in The NTDF Cafe it was very nice it was lovely. These are the non Battered Sausages and Chips I’ve just had.