This week Harrison learns about Devil’s Porridge, the name given to Cordite by Arthur Conan Doyle. Cordite was instrumental to success on the front lines during World War One, and with all of the men on the front line, the dirty and dangerous work fell on the women. Production had to be done by hand and often resulted in accidents and death.

Then Chris has learnt about the night of the horrified sheep, in fact, two nights! Mysteriously, in the middle of the night, thousands of sheep absolutely lost their shit, and no one is entirely sure why. Of course, that didn’t stop several people putting forward their own theories, including thick darkness!

Harrison’s Sources

Uncovering the stories of the 'Devil's Porridge' mixers

The Devil’s Porridge Museum

The Devils Porridge

Battle of Aubers

Shell Crisis of 1915

Cordite

HM Factory, Gretna

ROF Bishopton

Chris’ Sources

Understanding the stress response 

Man, 82, killed after being attacked by cows 

Sheep in the UK 

An Introduction to Sheep Behavior 

Charles Fort 

The Mysterious Oxfordshire Sheep Panic of 1888 

The Strange Case of the Great Sheep Panics of Oxfordshire 

Sheep Panics 

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