Life in Trenches

Life in Trenches

Daily Death in the Trenches

Serving in the Line

a constant companion

Raids don't Happen

Attacks were Launched

Defended Against

happens even when

happens even when

happens even when

Rat Infestation

Frogs, Lice and Worse

Two Main Types

Shellfire

Enemy

Random Death

busy sectors the constant

directed by the

brought

Victims

would happen to

Trenches or Dugouts

would happen in

Sniper's Bullet

men died on their first day in the trenches as a consequence of a precisely aimed

millions infested

Black Rats

Brown Rats

are feared more than

Cat

could grow to the size of a

Faces in the Dark

run across their

Methods

attempt to rid the trenches of them

Single Rat Couple

produce up to 900 offspring in a year

Infection and Contaminating Food

spreading

Lice

Breeding

in the seams of filthy clothing

Itch

causing men to

Washed and Deloused

clothing was periodically

Seams

lice eggs invariably remained hidden in the

Body Heat

few hours of the clothes being re-worn

Eggs to Hatch

generated would cause the

Trench Fever

causes

High Fever

painful disease that began suddenly with severe pain followed by

Recovery

Away from the Trenches

needs

is that you have to stay

Twelve Weeks

took up to

Frogs

Shell Holes Covered in Water

would be found in

Base of Trenches

also found in

Slugs and Horned Beetles

Trenches

crowded the sides of the

Trench Foot

Fungal Infection

it was a

Feet

of the

Cold

caused by

Wet

caused by

Unsanitary Trench Conditions

caused by

Gangrenous

it could turn

Amputation

result in

Suffering from Tissue Death

Surgical Removal of All or Part of a Limb

meaning

meaning

Trench Warfare

more of a problem at the start of

1915

conditions improved in

The Trench Cycle

Battalion

An Army Unit having Two or More Companies

meaning

Say a Speech in the Front Line

expected to

Stint Spent in Support

followed by

Reserve Lines

then in

Period of Rest (Usually Really Short)

then

Tasked with Duties

men might find themselves

Line of Fire

meaning

Path of Gunfire or a Missile

that placed them

daily routine of life in the trenches began with

an hour before

everyone was

ordered to climb up on the

meaning

to guard against a

this

was adopted by

prepared itself

many were carried out at this

the daily ritual often termed as the

accompanying stand to, as the

would often

with

directed into the

this made doubly sure of

Rum, Rifles and the Breakfast Truce

Stand To and the Morning Hate

Stand To and the Morning Hate

Dawn

Waken Up from a Slumper

Company Orderly Officer and Sergean

Fire Steps

Dawn Raid by the Enemy

Policy of Stand

Both Sides

Raids or Attacks Timed at Dawn

Relieve the Tension of the Early Hours

Machine Machine Gun Fire, Shelling and Small Arms Firegun fire, shelling and small arms fire

Mist to Their Front

Safety at Dawn

Step on Which Soldiers in a Trench Stand to Fire

Light Grew

'Morning Hate'

'Stand to' is Over

when

Rum

in some areas

Men

supplied to

Rifle Equipment

would then attend to the

Cleaning

of their

Inspection

Breakfast

would next be served

Line

every area of the

Unofficial Truce

each side would adopt an

Delivered such Sustenance

often extended to the wagons which delivered such sustenance

Rarly Lasted Long

they

Senior Officer

always a

Existence

Stamp it Out

would hear of its

quickly

During the War

it would keep happening

Inspection and Chores

Company or Platoon Commander

when it's over, then

would happen to

would be

Officers

by

by either the

NCOs

Non-Commissioned Officer

stands for

once this had been completed

Daily Chores

to Each Man

would assign

Refilling of Sandbag

Repair of the Duckboards on the Floor of the Trench

Draining of Trenches

Heavy Rainfall

particularly following

Muddy Water

trenches could quickly accumulate

Miserable

making life ever more

Occupants

for its

Walls of the Trench

as the

Misshapen

Prone to Collapse

and were

rapidly became

Pumping Equipment

Draining of Trenches

was available for the

Repair of the Trench

men would also be assigned to the

Preparation of Latrines

others would be assigned to the

Toilet in Barracks

meaning

Patrolling No Man's Land

Patrols

No Mans Land

would often be sent out into

Repairing or Adding Barbed Wire

some men would be tasked with

Front Line

to the

Listening Posts

others would go out to assigned

Enemy Lines

hoping to pick up valuable information from the

Sometimes Enemy Patrols

would meet in

Hurrying on their Separate Ways

they were then faced with the option of

hand to hand fighting

or else engaging in

Handguns While Patrolling

They could not afford to use their

Machine Gun Fire

for fear of the

Members of the Patrol

deadly to all

Relieving Men at the Front

Front-line Duty

Relieving Units

at night-time

men were relieved

Weary Way

would wind their

Communications Trenches

Numerous Lines

would wind their

Communications Trenches

of

Equipment and Trench Stores

weighed down with

Shovels, Picks, Corrugated Iron, Duckboards

examples

Several Frustrating Hours

process of relieving a line could take

Daily Boredom

given that each side's

Front Line

Snipers

was constantly under watch by

Daylight

look-outs during

Restricted

movement was logically

Night Fell

until

Assigned Tasks

once men had concluded their

Personal Matters

they were free to attend to more

Reading and Writing of Letters Home

such as

Meals were also prepared

then

Sleep was Snatched Wherever Possible

then

Grab More than a Few Minutes Rest

although it was rare that men were allowed to

Detailed to Another Task

before they were

Dusk: Stand To, Supply and Maintenance

by the

morning ritual of stand

with the onset of dusk the

Trenches

was repeated then

Hive of Activity

became a

Supply and maintenance Activities

Danger Invariably Accompanied

Enemy Would be Alert

these as the

could be undertaken, although

Men

Rear Lines

would be sent to the

Fetch Rations and Water

to

Sentry Duty

Guard Particularly on Duty at the Entrance to a Military Base

meaning

would be assigned

Fire Step

on the

Two Hours

generally men would be expected to provide sentry duty for up to

Men Falling Asleep on Duty

Any longer and there was a real risk of

Death

Firing Squad

for which the penalty was

by

The Smell

Rotting Carcasses Lay Around in Their Thousands

Approximately 200,000 Men were Killed on the Somme Battlefields Many of Them Layed in Shallow Graves

example

Carcasses

the dead body of an animal

meaning

Overflowing Latrines

Offensive Stench

would similarly give off a most

Luxury of a Bath in Weeks or Months

their feet were generally accepted to give off the

men who had not been afforded the

Pervading Odour

Dried Sweat

would offer the

of

Worst Odour

Creosol or Chloride of Lime

Disease and Infection

trenches would also smell of

used to stave off the constant threat of

Cordite

add to this the smell of

Poison Gas, Rotting Sandbags, Stagnant Mud, Cigarette Smoke and Cooking Food

the lingering odour of

Men Grew Used to it

Each colour represents a group

The bold titles are Main Ideas

The Main Title is in Bold, Italic and underlined

Neen Mahir

Daily Death in the Trenches

Breakfast Truce

Daily Boredom

Chores

Frog

Inspection

Rifles

Lice

Rat Infestation

Latrines

Patrolling No Man's Land

Stand To and the Morning Hate

Trench Foot

Trench Fever

The Trench Cycle

Trench Diagram

Works Cited

“Trench Conditions - Trench Routine.” Canada and the First World War, www.warmuseum.ca/firstworldwar/history/life-at-the-front/trench-conditions/trench-routine/

Pictures