Scots experience on the Western Front

Question 1

explain what life was like in the trenches

Answer 1

1. Rats would steal soldiers’ food and bite them. They also fed on the dead soldiers bodies
2. Food was limited in the trenches. Soldiers often ate bread and hard biscuits with jam or ‘bully beef’
3. Water was often transported in petrol cans, which left a taste of petrol. Men were given a half gill of rum every morning at stand down. An extra ration of rum was given to the soldiers before an attack
4. Lice caused problems. They would infest the soldiers’ clothes and hair and make them very itchy. The lice would get into the kilts the Scottish soldiers wore, which created discomfort. Many soldiers shaved their heads so the lice could not get into their hair
5. Water would flood the trenches and leave soldiers with wet feet all the time. This led to trench foot, which could result in your foot being amputated
6. Many soldiers in the trenches suffered from shell shock. This left them feeling stressed and exhausted. Their eyes would twitch and hands would shake. Some soldiers could not speak