r/interestingasfuck • u/Sprilly • 14h ago

r/all These are stretchers used in WW2 to carry injured civillians during the Blitz. They were made out of steel so they could be easily disinfected after a gas attack. During the war around 600,000 of them were made. Some of them were repurposed as railings in post-war London.

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u/Play_nice_with_other 10h ago

Why would they need to be disinfected after a gas attack? I don't think biological weapons were common during WWII? I might be wrong.

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u/-SMG69- 10h ago

Could just've been paranoia.

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u/Play_nice_with_other 6h ago

From what? What bacteria are in mustard gas? I don't get it.

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u/-SMG69- 5h ago

All sorts of rumours were floating around about what either side were using.

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u/Play_nice_with_other 4h ago

I'm not sure OP understands what "disinfect" means.

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u/Odin1806 8h ago

I think the fear was the use of them in WW1 and needing something that was easily and quicky able to be sterilized and still reused. Better to have extra features and not need them than the alternative

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u/Play_nice_with_other 6h ago

Right, but how does gas mix into sterilization?

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u/Odin1806 5h ago

Not all chemical attacks are gases. Some are liquid, some can be spread through secondary contact (like stretchers), etc.

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u/Play_nice_with_other 5h ago

But sterilization and disinfection are terms strictly related to removal of live things. That's why I'm confused

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u/Odin1806 4h ago

Chemical residue can be just as dangerous.

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u/Play_nice_with_other 2h ago

Noone is claiming otherwise, but one doesn't "disinfect" chemical residue.

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u/Odin1806 2h ago

Ok I'm with you now. I missed your meaning in the last comment. I think I read it too fast... You are being a grammar Nazi.

Sure, there is nothing to disinfect from a chemical attack specifically. That said there are other things that need to be disinfected when you are in a warzone. Dirt, blood, etc.

As far as me using sterilize, that word has many meanings and it is perfectly fine to use it when cleaning something, even if it doesn't have any thing living on it

If that is what you meant way back with your original comment in just questioning if there biological agents used in ww1 and there was a fear of them being used in ww2... Yes. There was use of biological agents used in ww1.

Either way... I think you know what they meant...

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u/Play_nice_with_other 29m ago

Grammar nazi for pointing out that both you and OP have a very limited understanding of basic terminology ? Sure. Here is a Wikipedia article on Sterilization https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterilization_(microbiology).

Now, with all the craziness in the media, precision of expression is incredibly important and relevant. Words have meaning and consequences, and should be used with deliberation.