Life for soldiers in the trenches
World War I in the trenches was a very long
and probably a very boring war which lasted from 1914 to 1918 which was a lot longer than expected. It was very
long because there was a very short lack of movement made although at the
start of the war Germans made a lot of movement through Belgium to Paris.
Daily Death
Death was constant to those
serving in the line, even when no raid or attack was launched or defended
against. In busy sectors the constant
shellfire directed by the enemy brought random death, whether their victims
were lounging in a trench or lying in a dugout.
Weapons
Various weapons killed soldiers
including tanks, aeroplanes, grenades, rifles, machine guns, and mortar,
artillery and gas attacks.
Here’s an interesting site for
more info on weapons:
Rat Infestation
Rats in their millions infested trenches. There were two main types, the brown and the
black rat. Both were despised but the
brown rat was especially feared. Gorging
themselves on human remains (by eating their eyes and liver) they could grow to
the size of a cat. a single rat couple could produce up to 900 offspring in a
year, spreading infection and contaminating food. The rat problem remained for the duration of
the war.
Lice
Rats were by no means the only
source of infection and nuisance. Lice
were a never-ending problem, breeding in the seams of filthy clothing and
causing men to itch unceasingly.
Even when clothing was
periodically washed and deloused, lice eggs invariably remained hidden in the
seams; within a few hours of the clothes being re-worn the body heat generated
would cause the eggs to hatch.
Lice caused Trench Fever, a
particularly painful disease that began suddenly with severe pain followed by
high fever. Recovery - away from the
trenches - took up to twelve weeks. Lice
were not actually identified as the culprit of Trench Fever until 1918.
Frogs
Frogs by the score were found in
shell holes covered in water; they were also found in the base of
trenches. Slugs and horned beetles
crowded the sides of the trench.
Many men chose to shave their
heads entirely to avoid another horrible thing, nits.
Trench Foot
Trench Foot was another medical
condition peculiar to trench life. It
was a fungal infection of the feet caused by cold, wet and unsanitary trench
conditions. It could turn gangrenous and
result in amputation. Trench Foot was
more of a problem at the start of trench warfare; as conditions improved in
1915 it rapidly faded, although a trickle of cases continued throughout the
war.
Routines and Treats and Stand To
Sometimes rum were given to
soldiers for a treat in some areas which they enjoyed while it last! The
soldiers would wake up in the morning and have their breakfast, get there
rifles loaded and cleaned. Some soldiers from each side would have an
unofficial truce which was where soldiers would stand on the fire step and aim
at the opposing side during the enemy’s raid.
Example - and necessary - daily
chores included the refilling of sandbags, the repair of the duckboards on the floor
of the trench and the draining of trenches.
Particularly following heavy
rainfall, trenches could quickly accumulate muddy water, making life ever more
miserable for its occupants as the walls of the trench rapidly became misshapen
and were prone to collapse.
Pumping equipment was available for the
draining of trenches; men would also be assigned to the repair of the trench
itself . Still others
would be assigned to the preparation of latrines (holes that you dig).
...And the Smell
Finally, no overview of trench
life can avoid the aspect that instantly struck visitors to the lines: the
appalling reek given off by numerous things.
Rotting carcases lay around in
their thousands. For example,
approximately 200,000 men were killed on the Somme battlefields, many of which
lay in shallow graves.
Overflowing latrines would also
give off an offensive stench.
Men who had not had the luxury of a bath in
weeks or months would offer the odours of dried sweat. The feet were generally accepted to give off
the worst odour.
Trenches would also smell of
creosol or chloride of lime, used to stave off the constant threat of disease
and infection.
Add to this the smell of cordite,
the lingering odour of poison gas, rotting sandbags, stagnant mud, cigarette
smoke and cooking food... yet men grew used to it, while it thoroughly overcame
first-time visitors to the front.
Diary Entry
Dear Diary,
Today has been a good day for us
we attacked the enemy and pulled through it with only half a dozen men injured.
This war will hopefully all be over in the next week or so but until then my
men and I will make our country proud and get back to our families safe and sound!
2/8/14
Conclusion
If I was in the war then I would
be probably thinking of home a lot but I would know I would be fighting for my
country and would try my best to keep my fellow soldiers alive.
By Liam Campbell.
By Liam Campbell.
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