Write An Essay About Living In The Trenches

What are trenches? Trenches are a small part of the army. One of the most dangerous places in the army. Why were they there? It gives protection from powerful artillery and firearms. IT was not a new idea it had been used in the U.S civil war, Russian Japanese war, and other wars. It began around September 1914 and ended when the Allies made a attack that began in late July 1918. By November 1914 there were continuous line of trenches covering 400 miles from switzerland to the north sea they had no way to get around. The trenches ran through towns, villages, coal mines, brick yards, across railroad tracks, through farms, across rivers, canals and streams. Each place had its own set of problems/ challenges. In 1915, 1916 and 1917 many trench positions were only held for
What were the Trenches like? Some of them in france were chalky and they were dug easily. The trench sides would crumble after it would rain, so they were built with wood, or sandbags. Rats would also take over the trenches. Often the soldiers would get lice. What was it like to live in them? There were a lot of other men living in the trenches with you. There was not very much space in the trenches with all of the men they tend to get messy. The trenches would be muddy and they would stink They had to smell lime, cordite, Poison gas, sandbags that were rotten, cigarette smoke and they would have to smell cooking food. There were dead bodies buried by the trenches and their bathrooms overflowed into the trenches. Sleep? The soldiers did not get very much rest or sleep if they did it was in the afternoon when it was light out and they only had an hour at a time. They got woke up to fight or do chores. They also made children clean out the trenches and dig them with buckets. It took 450 men to build a trench in six hours. Weapons. Most WW1 soldiers would have a rifle, bayonet and a hand grenade with them when they were fighting in the trenches. The men would have to do