What were 3 challenges soldiers faced in the trenches?

1 Answer

• Dampness and cold: causing diseases and damaging the skin/limbs (trench-foot);
• Parasites and vermin: the trenches are perfect environments for rats, lice, fleas and all the other infesting insects present in a dirty environment where (not washed) people have to live in close contact;
• Bodily fluids.

What was fighting like for soldiers in the trenches?

They were very muddy, uncomfortable and the toilets overflowed. These conditions caused some soldiers to develop medical problems such as trench foot. In the middle was no man’s land, which soldiers crossed to attack the other side.

What did a soldier most fear fighting in the trenches?

For soldiers, life in the trenches meant living in fear. In fear of diseases like cholera and trench foot. And, of course, the constant fear of enemy attack. Artillery fire killed and maimed more men in the trenches than any other weapon.

What did soldiers do in the trenches for fun?

In their spare time, soldiers wrote letters and diaries, drew sketches, read books and magazines, pursued hobbies, played cards or gambled. There were also opportunities for more-organised social activities. Other soldiers entertained their mates with impromptu musical, pantomime and comedy performances.

What were some of the problems with fighting a war in the trenches?

Disease and ‘shell shock’ were rampant in the trenches. With soldiers fighting in close proximity in the trenches, usually in unsanitary conditions, infectious diseases such as dysentery, cholera and typhoid fever were common and spread rapidly.

What games were played in the trenches?

Pillow fights, wheelbarrow races, and wrestling on mules were among entertainments arranged by officers to maintain morale among British troops in the trenches during the first world war, according to a sports day programme dated 31 October 1914 – among more than 700 digitised war diaries made available online by the …

What was life like in a World War One trench?

What was life like in a World War One trench? On the Western Front, the war was fought by soldiers in trenches. Trenches were long, narrow ditches dug into the ground where soldiers lived. They…

What items did soldiers keep in the trenches?

What items did soldiers keep in the trenches? Soldiers carried lots of equipment This included a gas mask; weapons and ammunition; protective clothes like boots and a helmet; ‘webbing equipment’ which contained personal items like shaving kits and water bottles; and a shovel. 1 of 4

Why were the trenches of the Western Front muddy and dirty?

The trenches of the Western Front stretched through Belgium and northern France, which was prone to heavy rain. As such, the trenches along the Western Front often filled with rainwater, which made the trenches muddy and dirty.

What were the conditions like for soldiers in WW1?

On the Western Front, the war was fought by soldiers in trenches. Trenches were long, narrow ditches dug into the ground where soldiers lived. They were very muddy, uncomfortable and the toilets overflowed. These conditions caused some soldiers to develop medical problems such as trench foot.