The young men who flew and fought during the First World War had no idea
what was awaiting them. The rise of science and nationalism during the
late 19th and early 20th centuries came to a head in 1914. The
"technology shock" that coalesced at the Western Front was not envisaged
by any of the leadership. These men did the best they could and gave
their full measure but it wasn't enough. Each suffered from their
experiences, some better than others. Each knew it was a defining moment
in their lives never to be repeated. And many felt that the dynamic
context of aerial combat was something that, after the war, they still
longed for, despite the attendant horrors.
The medical and psychiatric profession evolved symbiotically with the
war. Like the patients they were charged with treating, doctors were
unprepared for what awaited them. Doctors argued over best practice for
treatment. Of course, the military wanted these men to return to duty as
quickly as possible; with mounting casualties, each country needed every
man. Aviation psychiatry arose as a new subset of the field, attempting
to treat psychological symptoms previously unseen in combatants. The
unique conditions of combat flying produced a whole new type of
neurosis.
Terms such as Aero-neurosis were coined to provide the necessary label
yet, like shell shock, they were inadequate when it came to describing
the full and complete shock to the psyche.
We are fortunate that many of these fliers chose to write. They kept
diaries and letters about their experiences after the war and they are,
of course, an invaluable record. But perhaps more importantly, they were
also a means for many of them to heal.
Mark C. Wilkins finds the psychology undergirding historical events
fascinating and of chief interest to him as an historian. He has
included expert medical testimony and excerpts where relevant in a
fascinating book that explores the legacies of aerial combat,
illustrating the ways in which pilots had to amalgamate their suffering
and experiences into their postwar lives. Their attempts to do so can
perhaps be seen as an extension of their heroism.
