The WW1 Sexual Liberation.
The WW1 Sexual Liberation. We tend to think of WW1 as the blood, mud and slaughter of the trenches, plucky young public schoolboys off to fight for King/Kaiser and country, everyone in uniform and vast amounts of patriotic duty. What we tend to forget is the increase in STDs, pregnancy, back street abortions, rise of homosexuality and the booming prostitution industry. Prostitution and warfare go hand in hand throughout history, name a war or siege lines and somewhere there will be a pimp or madam with their girls/boys turning a trade. The British Army had always turned a blind eye to it, they encouraged their troops not to engage in the trade but it was accepted that it happened and still does although officially it’s against Kings Regulations. During WW1, each new recruit was given a note from Lord Kitchener to not participate in the “wine and women of France”, this also applied to back home in Blighty. Around the garrison towns, departure docks and the new training ...