Life in the trenches
Trenches where basically long holes that where just deep enough to cover the height of your body. The main purpose of digging these trenches was to supply reasonable cover form enemy fire. These trenches where more often than not in dreadful shape. The sides of these trenches (especially in Ypres) often collapsed inwards causing a serious safety hazard (the least of there worries). Trenches where often built in Zigzags so when the enemy captured the trench, they could not simply fire straight along the trench killing everyone. The trenches spread from the East to the West. By the end of 1914, trenches stretched all along the 475 miles front between the Swiss border and the Channel coast.
The general conditions of the Trenches fought in during World War 1 were terrible. The trenches were constantly filled with mud, water, blood, urine, shrapnel, body parts and other such disgusting items. Because of these items constantly filling the trenches, men's feet literally rotted because of being in this constantly. Men would "live" in these trenches for months on end. Trench foot wasn't the only thing that came from living in the trenches, other conditions such as shell shock, lice and illnesses from poor hygiene. This mostly led to death. Soldiers would never get good nights sleep because of the shelling, the smell and uncomfortable conditions.
Despite these terrible conditions, most soldiers would try and keep the spirits up and be thankful for the protection it would give them. The conditions where so bad in the trenches some men would self inflicted wounds into parts of there bodies or deliberately raise an arm or leg over the top of the trench or cover such as sand bags hoping they would be shot at. They did so that they would be sent home to recover and get away from the war. All-in-all most men weren't willing to do that and would not try to get shot and stay loyal to their country and fight. When the soldier's feet began to rot and swell it was called "Trench foot". Trench foot was the result of a lot of hours or days of exposure to wet or damp conditions at a temperature just over or freezing, this is why it was often contracted during times in the trenches. Conditions in the trenches were often like this because of all the rain and mud covering the bottom of the trenches, the soldiers couldn't escape it while fighting and had no option but to stand in these conditions all day and most of the night. Most of the damage caused by these terrible conditions was on the nerves and muscles, and gangrene can occur, and often did from this. In many soldiers' cases, the flesh on the foot would die and it may become necessary to have the foot or sometimes even the leg amputated.
Trenches where basically long holes that where just deep enough to cover the height of your body. The main purpose of digging these trenches was to supply reasonable cover form enemy fire. These trenches where more often than not in dreadful shape. The sides of these trenches (especially in Ypres) often collapsed inwards causing a serious safety hazard (the least of there worries). Trenches where often built in Zigzags so when the enemy captured the trench, they could not simply fire straight along the trench killing everyone. The trenches spread from the East to the West. By the end of 1914, trenches stretched all along the 475 miles front between the Swiss border and the Channel coast.
The general conditions of the Trenches fought in during World War 1 were terrible. The trenches were constantly filled with mud, water, blood, urine, shrapnel, body parts and other such disgusting items. Because of these items constantly filling the trenches, men's feet literally rotted because of being in this constantly. Men would "live" in these trenches for months on end. Trench foot wasn't the only thing that came from living in the trenches, other conditions such as shell shock, lice and illnesses from poor hygiene. This mostly led to death. Soldiers would never get good nights sleep because of the shelling, the smell and uncomfortable conditions.
Despite these terrible conditions, most soldiers would try and keep the spirits up and be thankful for the protection it would give them. The conditions where so bad in the trenches some men would self inflicted wounds into parts of there bodies or deliberately raise an arm or leg over the top of the trench or cover such as sand bags hoping they would be shot at. They did so that they would be sent home to recover and get away from the war. All-in-all most men weren't willing to do that and would not try to get shot and stay loyal to their country and fight. When the soldier's feet began to rot and swell it was called "Trench foot". Trench foot was the result of a lot of hours or days of exposure to wet or damp conditions at a temperature just over or freezing, this is why it was often contracted during times in the trenches. Conditions in the trenches were often like this because of all the rain and mud covering the bottom of the trenches, the soldiers couldn't escape it while fighting and had no option but to stand in these conditions all day and most of the night. Most of the damage caused by these terrible conditions was on the nerves and muscles, and gangrene can occur, and often did from this. In many soldiers' cases, the flesh on the foot would die and it may become necessary to have the foot or sometimes even the leg amputated.
