Life in the Trenches
For millions of WW1 soldiers, the trenches were home. Here's what daily life was like.
The Routine
Dawn: "Stand-to" — everyone at firing positions, weapons ready. Attacks often came at dawn.
Morning: Breakfast (if supplies arrived). Inspection. Repair trenches damaged overnight.
Day: Mostly quiet. Snipers made movement dangerous. Sleep if possible.
Dusk: Stand-to again. The dangerous time resumed.
Night: Working parties — repairing wire, digging, patrols into No Man's Land.
The Environment
Mud: Constant, everywhere. After rain, trenches became canals. Men drowned in mud.
Water: Trenches flooded regularly. Pumping was endless.
Cold: Winter was brutal. Frostbite common.
Heat: Summer brought dust, flies, and unbearable smell.
The Creatures
Rats: Fat on corpses in No Man's Land. Stole food, spread disease, crawled over sleeping soldiers.
Lice: Every soldier had them. Caused "trench fever" and constant itching.
Flies: In summer, millions swarmed over food, wounds, and latrines.
Health
Trench foot: Feet rotted from constant wet. Could require amputation.
Disease: Dysentery, typhus, influenza (1918 pandemic killed more than combat).
Shell shock: Constant bombardment caused psychological breakdown.
Food
- Bully beef (canned corned beef)
- Hard biscuits
- Tea (essential for morale)
- Occasional bread, jam, cheese
Hot food rare in forward trenches. Supplies often delayed or destroyed.
The Sounds
- Constant artillery rumble
- Machine gun bursts
- Shells screaming overhead
- Screams of wounded in No Man's Land
Soldiers learned to distinguish shell types by sound.
Relief
Soldiers rotated: front line (4-6 days) → support trenches → reserve → rest behind lines.
Rest areas had cafes, baths, and relative safety — but you always went back.
Coping
Humor: Dark jokes, trench newspapers, songs.
Comradeship: Bonds with fellow soldiers sustained men.
Fatalism: "If your shell has your name on it, that's it."
Many veterans couldn't speak of the experience for decades.
Related Reading
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