World War I: Life in the Trenches
- Life in the trenches was extremely hard, as well as dangerous. Most soldiers spent between a day and 2 weeks in a trench on the front line before being relieved.
- Sanitary conditions in the trenches were poor and many soldiers suffered from gangrene and cholera. Often, dead bodies were simply left out in the open rather than buried.
What was life like in a World War One trench?
While the design of the trenches and the network of trenches seemed like a great tactic, the reality of the life in the trenches was a different story. Life in the trenches took its toll on the soldiers involved in the war. The soldiers in the front line trenches often stayed there for at least 10 days at a time, usually with very little sleep.
What were the living conditions like in the trenches?
Living conditions in the trenches were very, very poor. The trenches were very unsanitary; muddy and smelly. There were dead bodies piled up everywhere. The toilets would sometimes overflow. There were also many pests, mostly rats and lice, infested in the trenches. Trench Foot: Bad weather and rain flooded the trenches, making them very wet ...
What were the living conditions in trench warfare?
What Are The Living Conditions In The Trenches
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What was life like in trench warfare?
What was life like on the western front? Soldiers in trenches fought the battle on the Western Front. Trenches were long, narrow trenches excavated into the ground that housed troops. They were filthy, unpleasant, and the toilets were overflowing. As a result of these conditions, several troops developed medical issues such as trench foot.
What items did soldiers keep in the trenches?
This included a gas mask; weapons and ammunition; protective clothes like boots and a helmet; ‘webbing equipment’ which contained personal items like shaving kits and water bottles; and a shovel.
What were the trenches on the Western Front?
On the Western Front, the war was fought by soldiers in trenches. Trenches were long, narrow ditches dug into the ground where soldiers lived . They were very muddy, uncomfortable and the toilets overflowed. These conditions caused some soldiers to develop medical problems such as trench foot. There were many lines of German trenches on one side ...
How long did the truce last in 1914?
They were ignored and no guns were fired on Christmas Day 1914. The truce lasted until the New Year in some parts of the Western Front. But it wasn't long before soldiers on both sides returned to life in the trenches.
What did the Germans give to the British?
They sang carols like 'Silent Night' ('Stille Nacht' in German). Men from both sides gave gifts to each other. The Germans gave sausages to the British and the British gave the Germans chocolates . A colour postcard possibly produced to send Christmas greetings from the front line.
What year did the British score a goal against Germany?
Illustration of a British army officer scoring a goal against a German officer, circa 1914. On Christmas Day, a British soldier kicked a football out of his trench and the Germans joined in. It was reported that Germany won the match 3-2. The British High Command did not agree with the truce.
What happened on Christmas Eve during the First Christmas of the War?
On Christmas Eve, soldiers from both sides put down their weapons and met in no man's land. They sang carols like 'Silent Night' ('Stille Nacht' in German).
How long did soldiers sleep?
Soldiers only got to sleep in the afternoon during daylight and at night for an hour at a time. During rest time they wrote letters and played card games.
What was life like in the trenches?
In the trenches, those poor fighting men got up close and personal with death, disease, mutilation, fear, hunger, horror, lice, rats, maggots, insects, and constant threat. There, every waking moment was spent dodging shellfire and bullets, ...
What happens to trenches during the rainy season?
During the rainy season, the trenches would fill up with water and the walls would turn to mud, creating dangerous living conditions inside, so the men had to work hard to maintain the trenches. Once the chores were done, the men were subjected to an inspection by senior officers.
How much bread should a British soldier eat?
A typical day's ration for a British soldier would include: 20 ounces of bread or 16 ounces flour or 4 ounces of oatmeal. 2 ounces of dried vegetables or 8 ounces of fresh vegetables or 1/10 gi. lime juice if vegetables were not available.
What did soldiers do after breakfast?
After breakfast, they'd get their daily chore assignments . There were always soldiers assigned to watch on the the fire step. The men sent to the firing step would be relieved after two hours and then they would be able to spend some time "relaxing" before being sent to do other chores, such as shoring up parts of the trenches that had been damaged by shellfire, re-filling sandbags, draining water from the trench floor, gathering supplies such as ammunition and food, maintaining latrines, and burying the bodies of their dead comrades.
What was the purpose of the men sitting still in one spot during the day?
At some point in the day, the men would have some leisure time when they might be able to catch up on some much-needed sleep. Of course, there was no real freedom during free time, and they could not move around and risk getting shot, so they'd sit still in one spot while they rested, played cards, or wrote letters.
What did the soldiers do after the sun came up?
After the sun came up, the soldiers would clean their equipment and stand for inspection by senior officers. This was mostly a roll call to check which soldiers were still alive. Then they'd go for breakfast. Breakfast time was an unofficial truce in most areas on the front line, a truce that was sometimes extended to the wagons delivering food and medical supplies.
Why do soldiers fire their weapons at dawn?
Since many raids and attacks would be carried before dawn, an hour before sun up, everyone would get up and climb up on the fire step to watch, weapons drawn, for dawn raids by the enemy. Oftentimes the soldiers would fire their weapons randomly toward the enemy at this time, as a defensive measure.
What were the most common infections in the trenches?
Many men who lived in the trenches developed infections such as: trench foot, trench mouth and trench fever (which was more of a flu).
What were the main causes of wounds in the trenches?
These factors include; the constant presence of rats; the rotting corpses on the battle field; parasites that lived in the rats; over flowing lavatories; etc. The rats were one of the main problems whilst living in the trenches. They came in millions and because of the ...
What were the most common injuries that soldiers suffered during the war?
These men could be found in the third row of trenches at the nursing area. The most common injuries that the soldiers would have were often simple cuts that had become severely infected due to the constant exposer of trench water that contained deadly diseases. Most of the wounds that became infected often lead to the development of gangrene. There were also numerous infections that were discovered after the start of the war. Many men who lived in the trenches developed infections such as: trench foot, trench mouth and trench fever (which was more of a flu). A soldier could prevent these infections by limiting the amount of exposer to the contaminated water, although that was often hard to do because the trenches were often flooded when it rained. The soldiers were provided with gumboots to protect themselves but the soft rubber of the boots were often punctured by debris and fallen barbed wire. This then made the boots pointless. There were also the expected injuries that soldiers were to endure after fighting through No Man’s Land such as scratches from barbed wire, bullet wounds, or knife cuts.
Why did rats come in the trenches?
They came in millions and because of the constant food supply that was provided due to the solders that had passed away. Another problem that came with the presence of the rats was the parasites that lived on them.
What injuries did soldiers endure in No Man's Land?
There were also the expected injuries that soldiers were to endure after fighting through No Man’s Land such as scratches from barbed wire, bullet wounds, or knife cuts. Hygiene. The soldiers that lived in the trenches were not provided with sanitary conditions in which they could live in.
What were the dangers of the Western Front?
On the first day of war alone, there were approximately 60,000 deaths for the British army. Another d anger was a commonly used weapon on the Western Front: poisonous gas. Gas attacks were frequent and deadly in the trenches. The gas was called chlorine gas and was possibly the most feared among the soldiers. This is because the toxins that the gas contained targeted to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. The gas was relatively dense, and so it settled on the ground. This meant that any injured men on the ground, who were out of reach of a gas mask stood absolutely no chance against the fatal fumes. As gas attacks became more and more frequent, the number of causalities rose as a result of them. Towards the end of the war, the Germans began to use a different gas called Mustard Gas. This proved to be the most lethal gas of all for several reasons; one it was much more difficult to detect; two it tended to remain on the surface of the ground; there it would linger for a longer period of time, therefore lengthening the effects they had on the soldiers.
What would happen if rats ran over men?
The rats would run over the men as they slept, and this then, in turn, spread the parasites that lived on the rats. After a few days of living in the trenches, the men would have lice living in their clothes and laying their eggs in the seams of their clothes. Home.
What was the threat of death in the trenches?
The threat of death kept soldiers constantly on edge, while poor living conditions and a lack of sleep wore away at their health and stamina.
What caused the trench fever in 1918?
In 1918, doctors also identified lice as the cause of trench fever, which plagued the troops with headaches, fevers, and muscle pain. The unsanitary conditions of trench life, especially the cold, persistent dampness, resulted in trench foot, a frost-bite-like infection that in extreme cases, led to gangrene and amputation.
What was trench life?
Trench life involved long periods of boredom mixed with brief periods of terror. The threat of death kept soldiers constantly on edge, while poor living conditions and a lack of sleep wore away at their health and stamina.
Why did soldiers feel powerless?
The enemy remained largely hidden from view and soldiers often felt powerless against arbitrary and sudden death. The inability to defend oneself against shelling or snipers, and the constant hardships of trench life, contributed to extreme stress and exhaustion.
What were the living conditions in the trenches?
The living conditions in the trenches were very unpleasant. The soldiers were not only put through so much devastation but also having to deal with the loss of their fellow mates, starvation, sudden attacks, diseases and agony.
How much food did the British soldiers eat in the trenches?
A fixed amount of rations was given to everyone on a daily basis. The rations for a British soldier included: 20 ounces of bread.
What is trench fever?
Trench Fever: Trench fever was a horrible disease caused by body lice. It was easily passed down from soldier to solider, which caused high fever, headaches, aching muscles and sores on the skin. For many soldiers this illness struck for more than once. It was very painful and took about 12 weeks to get better.
Why did trench foot occur?
Often it rained and due to many of the bombardments, the land was totally destroyed which made the trenches very wet and muddy, the perfect time for Trench Foot to occur. The rain also created a damp environment which in many cases, caused injuries to become infectious because there wasn't a dry environment to heal in. Winters were very harsh and caused many soldiers to die from frostbite and lack of warmth. Summers were also very cruel because many soldiers became dehydrated.
Why were the soldiers covered in filth and mud from head to toe?
Hygiene: The soldiers were covered in filth and mud from head to toe because there wasn't enough water to wash.
How long did it take for the soldiers to get better?
It was very painful and took about 12 weeks to get better. Shell Shock: Shell Shock was another illness many soldiers had but it was a mental illness rather a physical illness. The constant noise of explosives guns, and shrapnel shells made many soldiers uncomfortable and scared.
Why did the rain cause the deaths of soldiers?
Winters were very harsh and caused many soldiers to die from frostbite and lack of warmth. Summers were also very cruel because many soldiers became dehydrated.
The Trenches of WW I
Daily Trench Routine During World War 1
- Although It may sound difficult to believe, there was order in the trenches. Even in the bloody chaos of the fiercest battles, soldiers still followed a daily routine. Every day and night, the fighting went on but the young men still tried to stick to a routine which gave them a purpose other than killing each another. Keeping to a routine was a moral booster for the men because even if it did …
A Day in The Trenches
- The daily routine (an example): Since many raids and attacks would be carried before dawn, an hour before sun up, everyone would get up and climb up on the fire step to watch, weapons drawn, for dawn raids by the enemy. Oftentimes the soldiers would fire their weapons randomly toward the enemy at this time, as a defensive measure. After the sun came up, the soldiers would clean …
Food in The Trenches of The First World War
- In the heat of battle, it was impossible to have a set mealtime for the fighting soldiers, but if there was a lull in the fighting, hot meals were able to be delivered from the field kitchens to the front line trenches. When soldiers were at stand-down, food was easier to acquire and both British and German troops could expect food to be available with some degree of regularity. The soldiers in …
The Stench of The Trenches in The First World War
- Something must be said about the thing you can't get a sense of when looking at the photographs: the smell of the trenches. Imagine this: the stench of overflowing latrines, of rotting bodies exposed to the air or buried in shallow graves, and of the living bodies (filthy, infected, bathed routinely in sweat) with no access to baths. Think of the smell of the men's unwashed feet suffe…
Additional Resource
- Amazon.com: The Trenches of World War One A Handy Guide For Students and Schools eBook: James Paters The Trenches of World War One: A Handy Guide for Students and Schools– Kindle edition by James P...
Comments
- bobon May 16, 2016: this will help me in my presantation Goyon October 04, 2014: Hi, i world like to know information of some names of soldiers and what happen to their feets in the water. Please can you answer before tuesday. Thanks kaylaon May 15, 2014: hi I love this website rip livesavers Wankeron March 20, 2014: Thanks this helped heaps paigeon December 17, 2013: Th…