Conditions in the trenches
Living conditions in the trenches were very basic as well as very unhygienic. The solders would sleep in holes cut out into the side of the trench which are known as ‘dug outs’. Although these provided a shelter from the rain and some privacy, sleeping in they led to a high risk of them collapsing onto the solider. Sandbags were sometimes used to support them but this did not always work. The trenches were a perfect place for germs to thrive. Any diseases caught by soldiers were spread easily from solider to solider. Soldiers were usually up to their ankles in mud if not more; this was because of the weather conditions. It was blisteringly hot in the summer but bitterly cold in the winter. There were also no antibiotics for the wounded so their wounds would become septic and then in turn gangrene. The trenches were also invested which rats which could breed extremely fast leading to a never ending problem. The rats became very large due to excessive eating of corpses, leftover food and just about anything they could get their hands on. Millions of frogs, horned beetles and slugs were found at the sides and base of the trenches too.
The trenches would smell extremely bad this is because of various sources. The smell of rotting dead bodies lay around in their thousands. Overflowing toilets would also give off an uninviting odour. The men would not have washed for months; this would give the smell of sweat with the feet being the worst. Add to this the smell of cooking food, tobacco smoke, rotting sandbags and a lingering odour of poisons gas.
Illness and Disease
There were many illnesses, diseases including trench foot and trench fever. Trench foot was caused by the wet conditions, it causes the feet to swell up, become numb, and wounds could become gangrene and need to be amputated. Trench fever is caused by lice, it causes severe pain followed by high fever and inflamed eyes. Trench mouth is another disease that was common throughout the war. It is caused by poor nutrition, smoking or poor oral hygiene, it causes a greyish film on the gums, bad breath, horrible taste in the mouth as well as ulcers between the teeth. Shellshock is a term to describe the mental trauma suffered by the men fighting. It can cause anxiety, shivering, depression, loss of appetite and nightmares. These are just a few examples of diseases and conditions that were picked up whilst in the trenches, they condition were truly disgusting.
Life in the trenches
Life was very boring and lonely in the trenches. People dying around you all the time and thinking constantly you could be under attack. Causalities were horrific; this was not a pleasant think to watch. Shelling, gas attacks and the unbearable conditions led to breakdowns, initially soldiers were shot for refusal to obey order but later shell-shock was recognised. Men would take every opportunity to get some sleep or rest. After daily duties men would have some free time to do things such as reading or writing letters.
In the event of battle, a whistle would be blown and men were ordered into no man’s land this is called going over the top. The front line at the beginning of a major battle suffered badly. In the battle of Somme 70% of the troops in the first wave were killed or badly wounded.
