Trench Life

Life in the trenches

Disease

Trenchfoot

• Infection caused by cold, wet insanitary conditions.

• Feet would go numb and turn red or blue • 20,000 British soldiers treated in 1914-15

Trenchfoot

Trenchfoot

Trench Mouth•Caused by poor oral hygiene,

stress, poor diet and lack of sleep

•More common among smokers

•Symptoms include foul breath & bleeding gums.

•Swallowing painful & fever develops

Trench Mouth

Trench Fever• Symptoms included headaches, skin

rashes & inflamed eyes. Mild form of typhus.

• People often recovered after 5 or 6 days but long hospitalisations were common.

What caused Trench Fever?

• Estimated that 97% of soldiers on the front-line were infected with body lice.

• Thought that more serious forms of trench fever (i.e. Typhus) killed 10 – 40% of those affected

• Killed many nurses

Delousing stations set up

Haircuts also given

Cholera• Caused by drinking unclean water• Diarrheal disease• Can lose up to 20L of fluid in

faeces

Washing in the Trenches

Spanish Flu• Pandemic in 1918• Spread rapidly in cramped

trenches – major cause of death

Combated by wearing masks

Gangrene

• Minor injuries could get infected.• Americans report that 44% of

gangrene victims died

In addition, weapons were developed

which were designed to cause illness on

victims.

Mustard Gas• Eyes become sore and victims vomit• Caused internal & external bleeding

and stripped the lining from the throat

• Skin would blister several hours after exposure.

Soldiers suffering after a gas attack

Phosgene Gas

Chlorine gas was also used.

How were gas attacks combated?

So how could you develop these ideas?

Over the next 3 weeks, we will produce an investigation

which will look at ideas such as these in much greater

detail

How will we do this?Your investigation will have at least 4

chapters:1. Conditions in the trenches2. Daily life3. Disease in the trenches4. Technology & WW1

There can be MORE if you can think of suitable chapter headings

For each heading you will be expected to research THOROUGHLY

1. Think about the questions you want to answer: e.g. Life in the trenches:

• What were sleeping conditions like?• What was food like?• How many men would live together?• What was the daily routine?• What were men scared of?• Did they miss anything from back

home?

How will we find the answers to these

questions?• Books• Videos• On-line:

– Using internet sites– Finding pictures– Using comments, letters etc from

soldiers– ANY OTHER RESOURCE which you

think useful. E.g. War poetry

How will you present your findings?

• The most popular way will probably be in the form of a report.

• However, if you want to try something else this may be possible:

• E.g. Powerpoint. Be prepared to present your findings to the class.

Possible Questions:• What was daily life like for the soldiers?• What was their daily routine?• How did soldiers feel in the trenches?• What was the food like? • How did they keep in touch with their family?• What were living conditions like?• How much sleep did the soldiers get?• What was the general health of the soldiers like?• What kind of problems did the soldiers face?• These are some ideas but THERE ARE MANY, MANY MORE