Life in a First World War Trench

Life in a First World War Trench

Life in a front line trench for an ordinary soldier in France or Belgium could be pretty grim. Trenches were where the soldiers lived and fought against the enemy. They were basically ditches dug into the ground so the soldiers were protected from being fired on.

Above: A cross section diagram of a British army trench.

Key Features of a Trench

The trenches were deep enough for a man to stand up in safely.

·  duckboards: to keep the soldiers’ feet out of the mud

·  sump: below the duckboards where water and mud could gather

·  firestep: a raised platform for firing over the front of the trench

·  sand bags: to strengthen and reinforce the trenches and absorb enemy gun fire

·  barbed wire: to prevent the enemy from easily attacking a trench

·  dugout and funk hole: for sleeping

·  ammunition shelf: to keep bullets for rifles

·  elbow rest: to assist in firing over the front of the trench

·  parapet: the raised section at the front of a trench, strengthened with sandbags, to protect the soldiers from enemy fire and to provide protect when firing at the enemy

·  parados: a raised section at the back of the trench to protect soldiers from an explosion behind the trench

The Challenges of Everyday Life

Ø  The Routine- Soldiers would have to be in the front line for months at a time. They woke every day at 5.30 a.m. and had to remain alert all day in case of attack until Stand Down at 5.30 p.m. After that they often had to carry out sentry duty; which involved staying up all night to make sure the Germans didn’t attack.

Ø  Rats and lice- The soldiers shared their homes with some pretty unpleasant friends. The rats loved the trenches because the soldiers dropped leftover food. The lice loved the soldiers because their clothes were rarely washed.

Ø  Hunger- Army rations weren’t particularly nice. The soldiers rarely got hot food in the front line. They’d quite often have to survive the day on bread and jam.

Ø  Weather- It was often cold and wet. Even in winter the soldiers would be living and sleeping outside in the mud.

Ø  Boredom- Soldiers were rarely actually fighting. Apart from playing cards there was little for front line soldiers to do.

Ø  Death- Even though they weren’t under attack by soldiers, the trenches were constantly being fired on by big artillery guns and snipers using rifles.

Dangers in the Trenches

Rat Infestation Two rats could produce up to 900 offspring in a year, spreading infection and contaminating food in the trenches. Millions of rats infested the trenches, spreading diseases. They would feed on human remains and grow to the size of cats. Men would attempt to get rid of rats in various ways: gunfire, bayonet, and even by clubbing them to death.

Trench Fever Lice (like the one below) were a never-ending problem, breeding in the seams of clothing. Even when clothing was washed, lice eggs remained in the folds. Lice caused Trench Fever, a painful disease that began suddenly with severe pain followed by fever. The only way to recover was to be away from the trenches, in hospital. Many men shaved their heads.

Trench Foot Trench foot was another medical condition in the trenches. It was a fungal infection of the feet caused by cold, wet and unclean trench conditions. It could result in amputation. Trench Foot was more of a problem at the start of the war; soldiers learnt to change into warm, dry shoes and socks and the conditions in the trenches improved.
Snipers & Machine gun fire
At any time, day or night, snipers would be on guard along the enemy’s trench. Machine gun crews were also positioned along the trenches. If a soldier showed his head above trench he could be killed in an instant.