What was life like in the trenches? The First World War was the first industrialised conflict; it is also associated more than anything else for trench warfare. Trenches were used because the speed and power of the larger weapons,

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What was life like in the trenches?

The First World War was the first industrialised conflict; it is also associated more than anything else for trench warfare. Trenches were used because the speed and power of the larger weapons, such as the Vickers MG (a gun widely used by both sides), made it impossible to fight wars in the open.

        The First World War used a variety of weapons. Rifles fitted with bayonets, MG nests, artillery, planes and men would occasionally bury shells as a crude land mine in “No mans land”, the area of land usually no more than 100 yards wide separating the front trenches. These weapons could kill you, but if they failed to do that they could have destroyed your mental stability. The medical name for shell shock is post-traumatic stress disorder. The concentration of fear of being killed, lack of sleep and constant noise caused by artillery bombardments destroyed mental stability on both sides. “The real test was the barrage. Some hid their heads in their great-coats. Some wept; others joked hysterically. But all shock and crawled, white-faced in dull endurance. “How long? How long?” men would ask themselves again and again. Men had no choice but to last out, nerves pared to the bone”. Another weapon used was gas. Usually chloride or mustard, which made men who inhaled it cough up their burnt up lungs in clots. It was helpless to attempt to save them. Gas was first used by the Germans during an attack on Ypres during 1915. It was hoped in Germany that using gas would stricken enemy troops with fear, thus making them less effective in battle. New recruits were usually the victims, 5-10 died for every one experienced soldier. “Propped up against the wall were a dozen men, all gassed. Their colours were black, green and blue, tongues hanging out, eyes staring. One or two were dead and others beyond human aid; some were coughing up green froth from their lungs.”

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        Disease and death thrived in the trenches. Trench rats the size of cats roamed around. Lice excelled in the conditions the men were in, the average number of lice is 20 per soldier; the record for the number of lice on a soldier however is 10’428 along with 10’253 lice eggs waiting to hatch. This was because men rarely washed during their four years in the trenches of France. The following figures are extracts from a hospital waiting list showing casualties from disease:

Anthrax                 8

Dysentery                 6’025

Enteric fever         1’275

Meningitis         692

Pneumonia                 2’157

Tuberculosis         1’660

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