Life in the Trenches* Flashcards
revise
What was trenchfoot?
A bad hygienic issue in the dugouts where soilders feet would swell up from being wet all the time. If not cureable it would have to be amputated.
What were sandbags used for?
To try and stop moisture, sandbags were put along the top of the trenches to reinforce the walls and soak up the moisture for better hygiene.
What was No Man’s Land?
The land in between the 2 trenches, which belonged to no one. It was a wreckage and destroyed land.
What attracted rats?
The dead bodies on No Mans Land.
What was barbed wire used for?
Beyond the front line, barbed wire stood to slow down troops that were attacking.
What were dugouts?
Holes that were dug into the ground to make up the trenches.
-Protected soilders from enemy bullets and from powerful machine guns
-They were built in zig zag lines for extra protection
What was the Western Front?
The land between Germany and France, where most of the fighting commenced.
What is stalemate?
Where both sides can’t move.
e.g-
The Western Front was a stalemate for 4 years.
Meaning both countries were unable to proceed so they stayed still.
What was posinous gas?
It could come green or even invisible, there were different names like mustard gas…
If thrown and the wind was blowing in your direction you could injure your own troops.
What stopped the gas in the trenches?
Gas Masks
-Weren’t worn all the time as you couldn’t fight in them
What were food rations in the trenches?
They were given food like-
-stew
-bread
-jam
-biscuits
(condensed milk with tea)
What was the front line?
The most dangerous as it was the first line of defense
(the closest to the enemy)
What was the support trench?
It was used for moving supplies like guns and more weapons, along the trenches.
What was the communication trenches?
They were connecting all the trenches and brought the soilders food and weapons.
What did soilders do during the day?
-cleaned weapons
-repaired trenches
-played cards
-wrote letters home
-slept
-took up hobbies (creating things)
Why did they only fight at night?
So the enemy couldn’t see them.
Suprise.
What animals were in the trenches?
-Frogs
-Rats(as big as cats)
-Lice
Where was Lice in the trenches?
-Clothes
-Hair
What was a big downside of the trenches that caused trenchfoot?
They could food easily so soilders would be stuck in water for long periods of time
What was the water like in the trenches?
-Tasted like chlorine
-Would wash themselves with their drinking water
-Came in large water barrels
