The History Hub.
Life in the Trenches
What is a trench?
What was a trench?
A trench was essentially an elaborate whole in the ground designed to protect a defending army against bullets, shells and charging soldiers. Trenches were dug in World War One at the point where both sides met, they formed the front line. Early in the war, to break the enemies line of defence, each side tried to outflank (go around the side of) the other. This led to longer and longer lines of Trenches being dug in a Northwards direction in an action known as the 'Race to the Sea'. Because Trenches were so difficult to attack, the front lines essentially stayed in the same place throughout the war.
How many lines of Trenches were there in the Trench System?
There were three trenches in a trench system, the Front line Trench, the Support Trench and the Reserve Trench. These trenches were linked by the Communications Trench. The Support Trench would hold reinforcements and was also used as a place to pull soldiers off the front line. The Reserve Trench was also used in the same way but it was much farther back from the frontline, allowing for rest and relaxation.
What did a Front Line Trench look like?
The sump protected the troops from the bog, it is the pit below the duckboards. Troops could step up onto the Fire Step to fire over the lip of the trench. The ammunition shelf held spare cartridges. Sandbags protected the men from enemy bullets and shrapnel both on the parapet (the front of the trench and the parados, the back of the trench. Barbed wire was an obstacle that would stop enemy tropps when charging at the trench. Duck boards formed a layer that was passable as the mud and water collected at the bottom of the trench under the boards.
Watch an introduction to the Race to the Sea.
A famous Battle called the Battle of Ypres marked the end of the Race to the Sea.
Get to know the reality of the Trenches in less than two minutes!
What did it look like?
Why did they form?
The beginning of the war was one of movement. Grand cavalry charges and all out attack. Unfortunately military technology had moved beyond these tactics. Inventions such as the Machine Gun and high explosive shells meant it was easier to defend than it was to attack. Imagine running into a machine gun! Once the trenches were formed and the defensive lines were set it was very difficult to break through. The necessity of further invention evolved as the war became stagnant, neither side could break through.
Below left: Soldiers charge 'over the top' from a trench.
Below right: A soldier waits at the lip of a trench.
