WWILife In The Trenches

Trench Lines

Trench Diagram

No Man’s Land

• Area between enemy trenches

Food in the Trenches

• Soldiers survived on small amounts of canned beef and old bread.

• Bread was weeks old.

• Meat was often spoiled.

• Soldiers often got sick from the food.

Dysentery• Dysentery is a disease of the digestive

system.

• Caused by the consumption of bacteria in food and water (Bacteria from fecal material)

• Remember there were no bathrooms!

• Disease causes intense stomach pains and diarrhea.

• Can be fatal if one becomes dehydrated.

Water in the Trenches

• Most of these trenches had standing water (some waist high).

• Soldiers would have to stand in this cold muddy water for days at a time.

• No showers, no change of cloths, no drying off.

• Muddy trenches would collapse.• Standing in water for long periods of time

caused “Trench Foot”

Waterlogged Trench

Trench Foot

• A infection caused by cold wet, unsanitary conditions.

• Feet would go numb, then skin would turn red or blue.

• If left untreated could lead to amputation.

Trench Foot

Gas Attack

• Soldiers lived in fear of gas attacks

• Soldiers had to wear gas masks for long periods of time.

• Very uncomfortable!

• Many of them leaked.

• Hard to see!

WWI Gas Mask

Trench Rats

• Dead soldiers were buried near the trench.

• When new trenches were dug, these bodies were dug up

• Huge rats would come eat the decomposing bodies.

Body Lice

• Men in the trenches were covered with lice.• Caused blotchy red marks all over the body

Body Lice

The Latrines

• Latrines were the trench toilets

• Nothing but a hole 4 to 5 feet deep

• Latrine duty was given out as punishment.

• Very unsanitary!

Write a letter home

What is life like for you in the trenches?

How would you protect yourself from these rats?