Early in the war they were constructed quickly and hastily because there were no professional engineers who could do the work. However, the art of building a trench became more sophisticated as time went on, and dugouts were created to allow soldiers to sleep and eat just a stone's throw away from the enemy. The sides were fortified with sandbags, wooden boards and barbed wire, so making a frontal attack on the opposing army would invite huge losses.
Despite the tactical advantages life in the trenches was far from comfortable. In fact, there was nothing to protect the soldiers from the biting cold, or the noise of an artillery barrage. For a new recruit however, this would have been the least of his worries. For those who thought fighting the war on the fields of Europe would be glamorous they soon learned how horribly wrong they were.
Lice and Trench Foot
Lice were one of the most miserable aspects of trench warfare. This infestation was able to spread quickly due to the fact that men were living so close together and it didn't help that many of them couldn't shower for weeks at a time. Intense itching caused the soldiers to scratch but this made the problem worse. Heavy rainfall, coupled with inadequate drainage inside the trenches led to a condition called Trench Foot. After being up to their knees in the thick, stinking mud this kind of infection often became gangrenous and amputation of the toes, or the entire foot, was a likely result. This condition crippled thousands of men.
Unwelcome Guests
Rats thrived easily in the trenches and keeping them at bay was a constant strain. They gorged on the corpses of dead soldiers and spread infection. Many troops ate their food from tin cans and pitched the empty containers over the edge of the trench into No Man's Land. This encouraged these creatures to enter the trenches and seek more food and it was impossible to get rid of them all. Shooting them was discouraged because ammunition couldn't afford to be wasted so it became a common practice to use bayonets.
Daily Routine in a Trench
Much of the activities consistent in the trenches revolved around maintenance and repair. Sandbags had to be refilled and the duckboards at the bottom of the trench had to be fixed. Ordered to "stand-to!" just before dawn the men would be assigned to stand on the fire step dug into the wall of the trench and with bayonet fixed, ordered to watch for a raid. They had no choice but to stay there and wait for the enemy to make a move. Leaving this post without permission from a superior officer could have resulted in a court-martial or the death penalty.
Some sectors were perpetually violent and the constant noise of artillery fire literally drove many men insane. Shell shock, as it was called then, wasn't recognized by military authorities and was often misinterpreted as cowardice. Otherwise stable troops were reduced to quivering wrecks.
Adding to the miseries of trench life were poison gas attacks, terrible food, boredom and sniper attacks. Sharp-eyed riflemen were always watching an opposing trench for some poor guy who would poke his head too far over the parapet. Many recruits died in this fashion and on their first day.
Countless World War I vets were haunted by these experiences for the rest of their lives.
Sources:
Library and Archives Canada
bbc.co.uk
archives.cbc.ca
