Shell Shock

Military historian Tim Cook explores the history of shell shock, also known as the "storm centre" of military medicine.

Flying Officer Frank Rowan was presumed dead in 1945. Germany's surrender gave him a second chance at life.

Prisoners of war during the Korean War suffered the added injury of having their loyalty called into question.

A disturbing incident in 2002 shoes that the stigma surrounding shell shock in the Canadian military has not gone away.

No one knew how to treat soldiers suffering from shell shock in the First World War, so doctors tried everything including shaming, blaming, and electric shocks. 

As the war machine chewed up unit after unit, officials became increasingly desperate to find new recuits. A powerful tool in their recruiting arsenal was the use of propaganda to shame men into fighting.