What did ww2 smell like?

There was always the faint smell of wall plaster in the air from the wrecked houses and tumbledown walls, a dry dusty smell in fine weather and a damp more pungent smell after rain. After the major blitz on Coventry in November, fractured gas mains left a smell of gas which pervaded the outside air.

What does war smell like?

The pungent stench of sulfur wrought by exploding gunpowder dominated the battlefields of the Civil War. With the firing of tens of thousands of muskets and hundreds of cannons, the distinct smell of gunpowder rendered even the most floral landscape a wasteland of rotting eggs.

What did soldiers smell in ww2?

It may have been their sweat-soaked leather field equipment. Or, possibly, the vile ersatz tobacco cigarettes they often smoked. Another explanation is simple body odor.

What would a medieval battle smell like?

The atmosphere is loaded with the horrid smell of decaying horses and the remains of slaughtered animals, and, it is said, from the bodies of men imperfectly buried.

Does war stink?

The sulphur smell of the gunpowder from the firing of the guns must have seemed like perfume. It was said you could smell the Gettysburg battlefield miles away even weeks after the battle ended. Clouds of black flies drawn by the scent filled the air in and around the town. Let's face it, war just plain stinks.

What Was Hygiene Like For US Soldiers In WWII?

What did D Day smell like?

Their senses were soon choked with the smells of wet canvas gear, seawater and acrid clouds of powder from the huge naval guns firing just over their heads. As the landing craft drew close to shore, the deafening roar stopped, quickly replaced by German artillery rounds crashing into the water all around them.

What did the soldiers smell in ww1?

The stink of war

Then there was the smell. Stinking mud mingled with rotting corpses, lingering gas, open latrines, wet clothes and unwashed bodies to produce an overpowering stench. The main latrines were located behind the lines, but front-line soldiers had to dig small waste pits in their own trenches.

What did the Vietnam war smell like?

In the back of a candy shop in Hai Duong, another man recalled: “The war smelled of burnt nylon.” That was just one day of almost 40 we spent in Vietnam, over three years, capturing testimonies and images of more than 100 North Vietnamese veterans and their families.

Did Romans smell?

The ancient Romans lived in smelly cities. We know this from archaeological evidence found at the best-preserved sites of Roman Italy — Pompeii, Herculaneum, Ostia and Rome — as well as from contemporary literary references. When I say smelly, I mean eye-wateringly, pungently smelly. Even the entertainment reeked.

Who cleaned up the bodies after ww2?

When the war ended, graves registration soldiers still had work to do—scouring battlefields for hastily buried bodies that had been overlooked. In the European Theater, the bodies were scattered over 1.5 million square miles of territory; in the Pacific, they were scattered across numerous islands and in dense jungles.

Why does Army surplus smell?

When you get that Military Surplus Smell, you know you're dealing with GENUINE military gear, and not imported or reproduction gear. It is one of the first things any surplus fan will check when determining the authenticity of their purchase.

How do blood smell like?

Human blood, which also contains water and iron, has a smell similar to rust. This is an olfactory illusion.

What does sulfur smell like?

What does Sulfur Smell Like? Sulfide and sulfur containing compounds have a characteristic odor reminiscent of burnt matches, skunk, rotted eggs, or natural gas.

What did ww1 soldiers taste?

The bulk of their diet in the trenches was bully beef (caned corned beef), bread and biscuits. By the winter of 1916 flour was in such short supply that bread was being made with dried ground turnips. The main food was now a pea-soup with a few lumps of horsemeat.

What does the death smell like?

While not all compounds produce odors, several compounds do have recognizable odors, including: Cadaverine and putrescine smell like rotting flesh. Skatole has a strong feces odor. Indole has a mustier, mothball-like smell.

Can you smell death before someone dies?

But when it comes to smelling death before someone dies, medical professionals agree that there's no specific scientific smell associated with impending death. However, a dying person will put off a very distinct acetone odor related to the changes in the metabolism emanating from the breath, skin, and bodily fluids.

Where did Romans poop?

The Romans had a complex system of sewers covered by stones, much like modern sewers. Waste flushed from the latrines flowed through a central channel into the main sewage system and thence into a nearby river or stream.

Were Roman baths hygienic?

Hygiene in ancient Rome included the famous public Roman baths, toilets, exfoliating cleansers, public facilities, and—despite the use of a communal toilet sponge (ancient Roman Charmin^®)—generally high standards of cleanliness.

How did ancient people get rid of body odor?

Small bouquets of herbs and flowers called posies, nosegays, or tussie-mussies became popular accessories carried to overcome the stench of death.

What was a PZ in Vietnam?

At the same time, the Flight would rendezvous with the main body of infantry at the pick-up zone (PZ) and organize the loading of the infantry onto each aircraft. Upon arriving in the area of operations, Charlie/Charlie and the gunships would conduct a visual reconnaissance (VR) of the landing zone (LZ).

What was life like for Vietnam soldiers?

About 75% of the 2.5 million soldiers fighting in Vietnam worked in support roles as clerks far away from the front lines. These men had access to all the luxuries of home, including getting to sleep in a bed, eating hot meals, drinking at bars, and shopping at a well-stocked commissary.

How often did soldiers wash in ww2?

About once every week to ten days, Soldiers would go to the rear for their shower. Upon entering the shower area they turned in their dirty clothing. After showering they received new cloths. They had their choice for size: small, medium, or large.

How did soldiers go to the toilet in ww1?

Soldiers Used Either Buckets Or Deeper Holes Within The Trenches As Latrines. In order to go to the bathroom in the trenches, soldiers designated specific areas to serve as the latrines.

How did soldiers stay warm in ww2?

Bunkers would also be frequently dug with stoves, and would be lined with foliage or any large pieces of fabric which could help hold in the heat. Also keep in mind, depending where these soldiers lived before the war, they likely had experience in extreme cold.

Was Omaha Beach a mistake?

Planes dropped 13,000 bombs before the landing: they completely missed their targets; intense naval bombardment still failed to destroy German emplacements. The result was, Omaha Beach became a horrific killing zone, with the wounded left to drown in the rising tide.