Life in Trenches World War I 28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918 What are trenches ? Trenches were narrow dug out , where soldiers lived and fought during war (also in World war- I and II) Soldiers spent their time either flighting or in boredom. • There were many trenches in a specific zone , all connected to one another . • Trenches were common near the Western Front • They were specifically designed to protect soldiers and land further from Machine-gun fires and artillery attack from the air. How were the trenches built like? • Trenches had to be big enough to fit in necessary equipment and support a large number of soldiers. • Trenches were also attached to dug outs , a small region made by digging further in the ground ,used for providing shelter . This helped soldier to protect themselves from shells . • BARBED WIRES: used to protect the trenches and mark borders. They were settled deep in the ground. • FUNK HOLE: They were dug regions in the trenches , often bigger that explained in the image, they were specifically built for protecting the soldiers from rain while sleeping . Though sleeping in them was soon banned , since many soldier considered them dangerous . • FIRING STEP: Provided support for leg while firing . • DUCK BOARD: a small piece of wood providing a uniform platform for the soldiers to stand on. • PARAPET: the side of the trench facing enemy . • PARADOS: the side of the trenches facing their own camp. Conditions in the trenches Trenches were extremely unhygienic due to the exposure to wetness and other causes. • Trenches were uncomfortable and the toilets overflowed. • In some cases toilets also known as Latrines • They were also a big reason for casualties. • Rats almost as big as cats ,made conditions even worse. • Trenches were filled with the stinking smell of rotten sandbags , toilet buckets and dead rats . • Trenches also became a collection of dead bodies . Burial of them was nearly impossible. • Trenches didn’t have any protection from bad weather , hence during any storm or rain the trenches would fill up with mud and water also causing a disease known as trench foot. Survival of soldiers in the trenches Soldiers were provided with food which was prepared in the field kitchens during 1914 , their diet contained 10 ounces of meat and 8 ounces of vegetables a day. • The British government sent food supplies to their army in Belgium. • Though, as time went on and the army increased in number .It was now harder for the government to provide food in a large quantity , hence trench ration was a solution . • TRENCH RATION: designed to provide sufficient amount of food to soldiers ,usually canned meat. . • Trench ration wasn’t a big help , the diet of the soldiers started to decrease. • The Front line trenches were only provided food nine times in thirty days which was usually bread and biscuits . soldiers with canned food Food in the trenches • The field kitchen also known as the Battalions kitchen was totally depended on the local vegetables. • The soldiers often complained that the tea tasted like vegetables. • It was said that the food took eight days to reach the Front-Line trenches . They were never provided with fresh food. • Many soldiers had no option but to mash up all the vegetables available and boil them up. • Soldiers 1916 were provided with pea soups with some chunks of horse meat. • The battalion's kitchen stored food in petrol or jam jars to provide it to soldiers through the communication trenches . • The time till the food reached the Front – Line trenches , the food was already cold. • The field kitchen even shifter near the front-line trenches to provide hot meals though, it didn’t make a difference. Condition of soldiers in the trenches Despite the supplement of trashy food, soldiers had a lot more to deal with. Most of the time soldiers either fought or their time was wasted in boredom. Many wrote diaries and letters to their families during free time , while others rested or slept. Boredom was actually a bigger problem than it seemed , many lost hopes in seeing their families while others suffered through trauma after watching their loved once die during was. • To keep the soldiers mentally and physically stable during war they were provided beer and cigars . • Though soldiers started to invest more of their time drinking beer and other intoxicating liquors . • Many British soldiers also wrote in their diaries about how much they enjoyed the availability of having beer in the trenches. Some pf them wrote: “I was amazed to get two bottles of Guiness to drink” -George Coppard Due to the addiction of some soldiers with excessive beer many of them spent their time drinking rather than producing artillery shells and airplanes. The government had to take actions against this , since soldiers were getting distracted from their work . Soon enough the government made it prohibited to drink after the given time : “on weekdays 12 noon to 2:30 pm and 6 pm to 9 pm and on Sundays.” Mental trauma / damage to soldiers Soldiers were traumatized by the amount of violence and distance from their families . Many soldiers in the 1914s joined with great expectation . They joined the British Expeditionary Forces for the supplement of regular meal and to visit a new country . • Many soldiers were traumatized for life and never healed . • The congested trenches made the situation worse , many soldiers even stated that now they were just waiting to conquer death. • Shell shock was one of the biggest reason for causing excessive trauma to soldiers. • SHELL SHOCK : a sudden blast of shell causing the body to be left in great shock. • Many soldiers described their violent experience from war in their diaries: Mental and physical health [condition of soldiers] Physical damage: • Soldiers suffered through many diseases in the trenches due to the bad conditions in there. The most common diseases were : • TRENCH FOOT : Caused due to the exposure of feet to wetness for a prolong period of time. • TRENCH FEVER: infection caused by a bacteria resulting in fever. • GANGRENOUS: infection caused by flesh eating bacteria resulting in rotten tissue , the cure of this during the 19s was amputation. • Effects of gas shells: • Caused fluid to built up in the lungs , leading to death. • Chorine gas in these shells caused irritation in eyes, nose, lungs , and throat. Trenches after war After the war , Trenches were almost useless . In many regions they were abandoned or were naturally filled with soil . • Though trenches were again used in world war 2 , after the first world war they were of no use . • After the war trenches were cleaned by the soldiers . • Belgian and French farmers went back to their homes not before leaving the land profitable for farming again . Trenches in present days Trenches were very useful during the World War 1 , they helped in defence and in attacking . Trenches also were used in World War 2 and may seem to appear in future wars . Sources of the images • Images : printerest.com • Ideas of texts : encyclopedia . Britannicca .com and www.history.com , campushippo.com.
