World War 1 A Day in the Trenches

liverpool annie · Jan 1, 2009

Apart from dodging bullets and avoiding death from enemy shells, there was a daily routine in the trenches of World War 1.

It started 1 hour before dawn with the morning "stand to" the men were roused from sleep and sent to the "fire step" with bayonets fixed to their rifles to be on guard for a dawn raid by the enemy. Many raids were carried out at dawn by both sides although it was common knowledge that the opposing armies were both preparing to deal with them.

As the first light of day approached machine guns, shells, and even handguns would be fired toward the enemy trenches. Some people said that this was to test the weaponry. Others said it was to relieve the tension, and others said it was to ward off a dawn raid. Whatever the reason the first hour of the soldier's day became known, as "the morning hate."

After the "Stand to" rum was issued to the soldiers who would be cleaning their rifles before an inspection by senior officers.

Then it was time for breakfast, unofficially breakfast time was a time of truce between both sides, both sides respected this truce for most of the time, but it was broken now and again when a senior officer heard about it and put his foot down ordering the men to open fire on enemy lines. .

After breakfast the soldiers would face an inspection by their commanding officer, this was followed by the daily chores, each man would be given a specific chore. Daily chores included the refilling of sandbags, the repair of the duckboards on the floor of the trench and the draining of trenches, repairing the trenches and preparing the latrines.

During the rest of the day movement was restricted in the trenches, snipers and lookout posts from either side constantly watched the front lines and shots would be fired at the first sign of movement. Soldiers used this time to catch up on some much needed sleep write letters to their sweethearts and home and some soldiers spent the time producing ornaments and useful items from used shell and bullet casings, these items are very popular these days and are sold as trench art.

With dusk came the second "Stand to" of the day. Soldiers would be sent to the fire step as darkness approached in preparation for surprise attacks. With the darkness of the night the trenches came to life, men were sent to fetch vital food, water, and maintenance supplies whilst others were sent to the fire step for sentry duty, 2 hours

Was the limit for the soldiers on the fire step before they were replaced, in case the men fell asleep, if a man fell asleep at the fire step the punishment would be death by firing squad.

Patrols into no-mans land would also be carried out under cover of darkness, to repair breaks in the barbed wire and some were sent out as "Listening posts" hoping to over hear information from the enemy.

Sometimes enemy patrols would meet in No Man's Land. They were then faced with the option of hurrying on their separate ways or else engaging in hand to hand fighting.

They could not afford to use their handguns whilst patrolling in No Man's Land, for fear of the machine gun fire it would inevitably attract, deadly to all members of the patrol.

The cover of darkness also allowed the frontline troops to be changed over, those who had completed their tour of duty would be swapped over with fresh troops.

Then it was time to start the daily routine again with the morning "stand to"
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scrimnet · Jan 1, 2009

I would like to take issue a little with the falling asleep on the fire step would lead to death by firing squad...

Comparatively few were shot during WW1 compared to the amount sentenced to death...Most were commuted. I haven't the figures to hand, but will post them tomos...A large amount of the death sentences carried out were for crimes that may well have warranted capital punishment in civvy street...Murder, rape and the such like.

Troops would only spend a week to 10 days max in the front line, they were then sent back for R&R unless there were exceptional circumstances...This doesn't mean that they were exempt from the danger of shell fire though...

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World War 1 A Day in the Trenches

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liverpool annie New Member

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