Life In The Trenches

Question 1

Daily life

Answer 1

Soldiers would spend around 10 days a month in the firing line , when not in the front line soldiers were sent back to billets a few miles away

Question 2

Food

Answer 2

They often ate corned beef (or bully) with ten men sharing a loaf of bread, in an emergency there was hard biscuits and soldiers would preferably have a daily intake of 4000 calories.tobacco was widely available

Question 3

Hygiene

Answer 3

Everyone had lice, rats were everywhere and occasionally there was epidemics. Germs in food and water led to typhoid , cholera and dysentery. Trench foot was the biggest problem . Soldiers were provided with thigh high rubber waders and whale oil for rubbing feet.

Question 4

Health care

Answer 4

Every battalion (700-1000) men had one regimental medical officer with a team of medical orderlies and stretcher bearers. A regimental aid post was usually set up in the reserve trench for lightly wounded soldiers.

Question 5

Comradeship

Answer 5

Friendships between the troops

Question 6

Weather

Answer 6

Soldiers had to put up with the extremes of weather and a metre of water at the bottom of the trenches was not uncommon , so soldiers who stood in this for a long time developed trench foot.

Question 7

Dangers

Answer 7

In the was there was many dangers , such as , flying debris and splinters, snipers and poisonous gas. Many soil divers suffered from shellshock.