Life In The Trenches

Life varied trench-by-trench and by the sector of the Western Front they were in, but typically conditions could be considered unanimously abhorrent as habitants were tormented consistently by sickness, shellfire, the enemy and rodents.

This image was taken in May 1918 during the Kaiserschlacht; in it, two German troops loot a British frontline trench which has been captured by the German Army.

The person in the foreground sports the greatcoat of a British sergeant, a phenomenal, yet subtle, demonstration of how desperate the conditions on the Western Front were by the waining months of the war.

On the frontline nighttime was the liveliest time of the day. This is when raiding parties and artillery bombardments particularly prior to offensives were often at their apex intensity.

It was also the time of day general maintenance on infrastructure was conducted, this would allow people to work as undisturbed as possible despite the belligerent danger which surrounded them.

French and British trenches were often underdeveloped and suffered from constant maintenance problems due to belligerent German shellfire, which tormented the occupiers.

This particular photo has little known provenance, but we known it was captured on the 8th August 1918. Pictured, [at least] two Frenchmen rest in a trenchline which hosts the abandoned FT-17 tanks ‘Sidi-Bahrim‘ and ‘LouLou‘ which became stuck trying to cross over the parapet.

Daytime was often characterised by prolific boredom on the front. First thing in the morning, a stand-to would be called as everyone would observe into No-Man’s Land and await an enemy attack. Throughout the day, monotonous maintenance inside the trenches would be completed.

The evenings if you weren’t on sentry watch that day would be time to write letters to loved ones back home and entertain yourself as best as possible. The night watch was marked with an evening stand-to, identical to that of the morning.

Scottish Stretcher Bearers of the Seaforth Highlanders resting in a ditch during the Battle of Scarpe, 29th August 1918 © IWM (Q 7014) Artistic Rendition 2020

Time people spent in the trenches on the Western Front varied greatly by nation, for those of the Commonwealth, the majority of time was actually spent in reserve, some two weeks away from the trenches. For comparison in the French Army, it wasn’t unheard of for men to spend up to two weeks on frontline duty.

Reserve men of the 1st Australian Division cross shellhole and duckboard bound to the frontline in order to relieve their comrades who had captured Hooge the day prior during the Battle of Passchendale, September 1917 © AWM (E00833) Artistic Rendition 2021

Rotation for British units were mirrored more or less by the Germans and were often broken up by month long periods. 6-10 days would be spent on the frontline, followed by about 7 days in the support lines; after this approximately 14 days would be spent in reserve on rest and recuperation.

Makeshift field kitchen in a support line trench at Gommecourt, July 1918 © Alex Turnbull Archive (1/2-013413-G) Artistic Rendition 2021

Offensives gave way to particular problems, many of them logistical such as repairing if not extending infrastructure, burying the dead and worsening the shortage of experienced manpower.

Destroyed German transport route at Serre, August 1918 © Alex Turnbull Library (1/2-013487-G) Artistic Rendition 2025

Enemy infrastructure was commonly incorporated into the ‘new frontline’ on capture but those who had taken these new positions were inheriting a mess of their own making; now having to divert supplies and manpower to shore up former enemy positions which were now weakened to counterattacks.

It was common practice to take shore-up supplies across No-Man’s Land during the attack in the foresight that these positions vitally needed protection from the enemy who knew the layout and weaknesses in their former positions.

A German machine gun position photographed just after its capture by New Zealand troops during the fighting at Grévillers as part of the Hundred Day’s Offensive, 24th August 1918 © Alex Turnbull Archive (1/2-013508-G) Artistic Rendition 2025

Trenches were not always so destitute; support line trenches, one of which can be seen here hosting officers having their morning breakfast, sat further afield from the front as they were commonly made up of former frontline trenches which no longer serve purpose as the front advances.

“New Zealand officers eating breakfast in a trench that until two days previous had been occupied by German forces. Their breakfast included New Zealand butter that had just arrived in a parcel from home.”, 1918 © Alex Turnbull Archive (1/2-013488-G) Artistic Rendition 2025

Time in reserve was understood to be decompression time, at least in Anglicised trenches, where things such as regimental sports days, drag-shows and boxing tournaments were common practice to take the minds off those who had just come from the trenches.

Cavalrymen of the 5th Dragoon Guards host a swimming tournament on the grounds of Rollancourt, South Calais, 7th June 1917 © IWM (Q 2148) Artistic Rendition 2020

Whilst time in reserve was deemed ‘rest and recuperation’ it was commonly a mixed bought of hard manual labour lugging artillery shells to their pits, as well as moving food and water prepared in field-kitchens like this 1917 example of a German field kitchen pictured here, bound to be muled to the support lines and further afield to the frontline.

But the reminder that the frontline was never far away was undoubtedly always forefront in a person’s mind, as time in reserve was also time used for training, which was in constant need of refinement as ‘standards’ could easily slip during a units time on the front and support lines.

German Stormtroopers ‘Stoßtruppe‘ of Sturm-Battalion Nr16 simulate a trench raid in likely Sedan, France, during June 1918 © Drake Goodman Artistic Rendition 2021

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