Trench experience > An allied army
An allied army
The British forces were not all from Britain. A British army could be made up of divisions of
Indians, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans, West Africans and Canadians, as well
as British troops. Behind the lines were the Chinese Labour Corps, which built and repaired
road and rail links to the front.
The largest forces were from France and the French colonies, such as Algeria. They carried
the main burden of the war in 1914-16, while Britain desperately tried to recruit and train a
large land army almost from scratch. There were also two million American troops who arrived
in France in 1918 to play an important role in achieving victory.
The sources in this case study will give you a sense of the range of different people the average British soldier might have met while serving in the Great War.
You will probably find it helpful to study the Background before you
start looking at the sources.
Use the Worksheet as you look through the sources. This will help you
plan your research and think about how to present your findings.
Sources
Service record of
Wilfred Owen, 191718
Photo of Walter Tull,
1st Football Battalion
Photo of West Indian
troops, 1916
Report & photos of
Canadians, 1915-17
Newspaper report on
VC winner, 1915
Photo of an Irish
raiding party, 1916
Photos of Australian
& NZ soldiers, 1916
Film of US soldiers in
France, 1918
Letter from a British
Red Cross nurse,
1915
‘The British Empire’s
Contribution’, 1919
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
Page 1
Trench experience > An allied army
Source 1
Extracts from the war service record of Wilfred Owen, a lieutenant in the British Army
and a war poet, 1917-18
(Catalogue ref: WO 138/74)
1a
1b
How to use this source:
Study this source carefully. It contains information that could be useful in your presentation on
life in the trenches. As you study the source, ask yourself:
z What does this tell you about Wilfred Owen as a soldier?
z Does this suggest that Owen’s approach to soldiering changed in any way between 1917
and 1918?
z Read the useful notes on this source. In what ways was Owen a typical British soldier and
in what ways was he unusual?
z Which aspects of trench warfare does this source provide information on?
z How could this source be used in your final presentation?
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 1a
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
Page 3
Trench experience > An allied army
Source 1b
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 2
Photograph of Walter Tull of the 1st Football Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment
(Bruce Castle Museum (Haringey Libraries, Archives & Museum Service))
How to use this source:
Study this source carefully. It contains information that could be useful in your presentation on
life in the trenches. As you study the source, ask yourself:
z Read the useful notes for this source. In what ways was Walter Tull a typical British soldier
and in what ways was he unusual?
z What does this source tell you about who joined the British Army when the war started?
z Which aspects of trench warfare does this source provide information on?
z How could this source be used in your final presentation?
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 2
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 3
Photo of troops of the West Indies regiment in camp on the Albert-Amiens Road,
September 1916
(Courtesy of the Imperial War Museum: Q1202)
How to use this source:
Study this source carefully. It contains information that could be useful in your presentation on
life in the trenches. As you study the source, ask yourself:
z Read the useful notes for this source. In what ways are these soldiers typical of British
forces and in what ways are they unusual?
z What does this source tell you about who joined the British Army when the war started?
z Does this picture help to explain how and why morale in the British Army was generally
good for most of the war?
z Which aspects of trench warfare does this source provide information on?
z How could this source be used in your final presentation?
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 3
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 4
A report on Canadian troops, with photographs, 1915-17
(a. The National Archives: PRO 30/57/51, b. Courtesy of the Imperial War Museum: CO
2196A, c. Imperial War Museum: Q442)
4a
4b
4c
How to use this source:
Study this source carefully. It contains information that could be useful in your presentation on
life in the trenches. As you study the source, ask yourself:
z Who are the soldiers described by Rawlinson and what does he think of them?
z In what ways are these soldiers typical of British forces and in what ways are they
unusual?
z Read the useful notes. Do these sources help to explain how and why morale in the Army
was generally good for most of the war?
z Which aspects of trench warfare do these sources provide information on?
z How could any of these sources be used in your final presentation?
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 4a
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 4b
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 4c
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 5
Report from the London Gazette newspaper on the actions of Jemadar Mir Dast, June
1915
(Catalogue ref: ZJ 1/622)
How to use this source:
Study this source carefully. It contains information that could be useful in your presentation on
life in the trenches. As you study the source, ask yourself:
z In what ways was Mir Dast a typical British soldier and in what ways was he unusual?
z Why was he fighting on the western front? What does this source tell you about who joined
the British Army when the war started? Read the useful notes to help you.
z Which aspects of trench warfare does this source provide information on?
z How could this source be used in your final presentation?
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 5
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 6
Photo of a raiding party of the 1/8th (Irish) King’s Liverpool Regiment at Wailly, April
1916
(Courtesy of the Imperial War Museum: Q510)
How to use this source:
Study this source carefully. It contains information that could be useful in your presentation on
life in the trenches. As you study the source, ask yourself:
z
z
z
z
z
Do these soldiers look similar or different to soldiers in other photos you have seen?
Does the photograph suggest anything about the ages of the soldiers?
Why are some wearing German helmets?
Which aspects of trench warfare does this source provide information on?
How could this source be used in your final presentation?
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 6
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 7
Photographs of Australian and New Zealand soldiers, 1916
(Courtesy of the Imperial War Museum: a.Q671; b.Q660; c.Q653)
7a
7b
7c
How to use this source:
Study this source carefully. It contains information that could be useful in your presentation on
life in the trenches. As you study the source, ask yourself:
z What are these soldiers doing?
z What do these photos tell you about what it was like to be in the front line?
z In what ways are these soldiers similar or different to the British soldiers you have seen on
this website and in your other studies?
z Which aspects of trench warfare do these sources provide information on?
z How could any of these sources be used in your final presentation?
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 7a
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Page 18
Trench experience > An allied army
Source 7b
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 7c
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 8
A film showing US soldiers in a camp in France, 1918
(ITN Archive/Pathé: 1880-56)
How to use this source:
Study this source carefully. It contains information that could be useful in your presentation on
life in the trenches. As you study the source, ask yourself:
z
z
z
z
z
How do the US soldiers in this image compare to the British Tommy?
What does this clip suggest about life on the front line?
Do the US troops seem to be any better or worse supplied than other troops?
Which aspects of trench warfare does this source provide information on?
How could this source be used in your final presentation?
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 8
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 9
A letter from Margaret Greg, a British Red Cross nurse who served near the front line in
France, 1915
(Cheshire and Chester Archives, DDX 511/18 vol.1)
How to use this source:
Study this source carefully. It contains information that could be useful in your presentation on
life in the trenches. As you study the source, ask yourself:
z Do you think the average British or French soldier would have been surprised to see
women near the front line?
z What were the women doing?
z What were Margaret’s living conditions like?
z Which aspects of trench warfare does this source provide information on?
z How could this source be used in your final presentation?
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 9
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 10
Extracts from a government report called ‘The British Empire’s Contribution To The
Great War’, 1919
(Catalogue ref: WO 394/20 p.764)
How to use this source:
Study this source carefully. It contains information that could be useful in your presentation on
life in the trenches. As you study the source, ask yourself:
z
z
z
z
z
What does the document say about the contribution of French forces?
According to this source, how heavy were the casualties suffered by empire forces?
Why do you think some of the figures in table 1 have been changed?
Which aspects of trench warfare does this source provide information on?
How could this source be used in your final presentation?
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
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Trench experience > An allied army
Source 10
http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/greatwar/
Page 26