In this gripping episode of The Rum Ration, hosts Colin and Rejoy delve into one of the most terrifying chapters of modern warfare: gas. Kicking off with a powerful reading of Wilfred Owen’s haunting WWI poem Dulce Et Decorum Est by acclaimed poet Ayesha Chatterjee, the episode explores how chemical weapons evolved from ancient toxins used by the Greeks and the Romans to the industrial-scale horror of chlorine, phosgene, and mustard gas during the First World War.
Listeners will learn how Canadian troops—including the hosts beloved The Royal Montreal Regiment—endured these inhumane weapons with minimal protection, often resorting to urine-soaked cloths before proper gas masks were developed. Through vivid storytelling and first-hand accounts, the episode reveals the devastating psychological and physical toll gas had on soldiers and how the horrors of 1915 Ypres marked a turning point in global attitudes toward chemical warfare.
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Cheers to history! 🥂
