Life in the Trenches
Morale
Life in the trenches were perilous: there around 7,000 British casualties per day for every day of the year alone.
This had a significant effect on morale.
To keep morale high, the British created a 3-week rotation:
During the course of war, 3,984 British soldiers were found to have made self inflicted wounds...
And just this was enough to put you up to the firing squad, never mind desertion...
Health
Whenever it rained, the rain had no place to go and it was stuck in the trenches and the rain turned the trenches into mud. The trenches would trap water and men would spend weeks on end with their limbs soaking in the filthy sludge. This was an idea condition for fungus to grow and over 20,000 British soldiers were affected were trench foot during just the winter of 1914-1915. Trench foot was a common condition among soldiers, and was a result of constant immersion in a wet environment. It would first numb the feet, and then slowly develop into gangrene, which could turn deadly, or if treated, would not show many after effects. However, trench foot became less prevalent later in the war as there was less trench warfare, and soldiers were instructed on how to protect themselves from trench foot and similar afflictions.
Many soldiers also died due to exposure. During the winter, the temperature in a trench could easily fall below freezing, often proving fatal for ill equipped soldiers.
Rats were common inside trenches. Despite the best efforts of the men to drive them out of the trenches with gunpowder, fire, and bullets, rats would always return to the trenches, often growing until they were the size of a small dog! Lice and mites were also very common among men serving in trenches. To remove lice one had to be skilled and burn the lice off them, but not their own skin, or go to a doctor during the time on reserve trench (leave), thus lice usually stayed with the men.
Water was also a problem as the troops did not that have much fresh water and instead relied on the rainwater and filled shell and natural holes and crevices. This consumption of impure water often lead to dysentery. Poor water sanitation also resulted in many deaths through cholera.
The food was pretty bad, especially when it ran out and the men had to rely on "iron rations" which contained biscuits, a can of beef, tea, and not much else...
Besides physical ailments, men who were under constant bombardment in the trenches sometimes suffered the ailment known as shell shock, a result of damage done to nerves during combat. It was not understood very well at the time, and sufferers were often treated without much sympathy despite the fact that the symptoms were very real and debilitating.
Life in the trenches were perilous: there around 7,000 British casualties per day for every day of the year alone.
This had a significant effect on morale.
To keep morale high, the British created a 3-week rotation:
- Week 1: Front-trench, heavy fighting and losses, and extreme danger.
- Week 2: Support trench, less danger and fighting, and smaller danger
- Week 3: Reserve trench, usually no fighting or danger. Troops here could entertain themselves with sports, concerts, and plays.
During the course of war, 3,984 British soldiers were found to have made self inflicted wounds...
And just this was enough to put you up to the firing squad, never mind desertion...
Health
Whenever it rained, the rain had no place to go and it was stuck in the trenches and the rain turned the trenches into mud. The trenches would trap water and men would spend weeks on end with their limbs soaking in the filthy sludge. This was an idea condition for fungus to grow and over 20,000 British soldiers were affected were trench foot during just the winter of 1914-1915. Trench foot was a common condition among soldiers, and was a result of constant immersion in a wet environment. It would first numb the feet, and then slowly develop into gangrene, which could turn deadly, or if treated, would not show many after effects. However, trench foot became less prevalent later in the war as there was less trench warfare, and soldiers were instructed on how to protect themselves from trench foot and similar afflictions.
Many soldiers also died due to exposure. During the winter, the temperature in a trench could easily fall below freezing, often proving fatal for ill equipped soldiers.
Rats were common inside trenches. Despite the best efforts of the men to drive them out of the trenches with gunpowder, fire, and bullets, rats would always return to the trenches, often growing until they were the size of a small dog! Lice and mites were also very common among men serving in trenches. To remove lice one had to be skilled and burn the lice off them, but not their own skin, or go to a doctor during the time on reserve trench (leave), thus lice usually stayed with the men.
Water was also a problem as the troops did not that have much fresh water and instead relied on the rainwater and filled shell and natural holes and crevices. This consumption of impure water often lead to dysentery. Poor water sanitation also resulted in many deaths through cholera.
The food was pretty bad, especially when it ran out and the men had to rely on "iron rations" which contained biscuits, a can of beef, tea, and not much else...
Besides physical ailments, men who were under constant bombardment in the trenches sometimes suffered the ailment known as shell shock, a result of damage done to nerves during combat. It was not understood very well at the time, and sufferers were often treated without much sympathy despite the fact that the symptoms were very real and debilitating.
http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/chapters/ch1_trench.html