Conditions of the Trenches The conditions of the trenches in WWI were unbearable. These conditions were unbearable because of the rats and the different gases that were released. Many soldiers died in the trenches due to the conditions, not just from fighting. There were rats down in the trenches. (Remarque 101) The rats ate all of the soldier’s food, and contaminated all of their belongings with droppings.
The trenches were infested with rats, lice, frogs and other pests. The lice would live off of the soldiers and caused the soldiers frenzied scratching and carried a disease called trench fever (World at war, pg-25). When soldiers had trench fever they would get a fever, headache, sore muscles, bones, and joints, and breakouts of skin lesions on the chest and back (britannica.com). In 1917 15% of all illnesses in the British army were trench fever (World at war, pg-25). These diseases were another horrible part of world war
Many soldiers developed trench foot, a frostbite like infection that led to extreme pain and caused the feet to swell and turn black. Trench foot also led to amputation in serious cases. Soldiers were in constant fear of their life as they were regularly killed by snipers/shells. Many wounded were left to die as rescue attempts were to dangerous. Due to the constant hardships of the trench life and the inability to defend themselves caused mental exhaustion.
In the book Fleming is often with other soldiers but he is isolated till he is able to become a real soldier. The youth would have liked to have discovered another who suspected himself. A sympathetic comparison of mental notes would have been a joy to him (14). This is stated when Fleming is pondering about battle for the first time. He is the only soldier that seems to be frightened of battle and he seeks companions that have the same beliefs.
For many people, the Battle of the Somme was the battle that symbolised the horrors of warfare in World War One; this one battle had a marked effect on overall casualty figures and seemed to epitomise the futility of trench warfare. The Battle of the Somme claimed the biggest loss of soldiers in a single day of fighting ever recorded by the British army. Despite this, there were some positives
5 The conditions of the battle of the Somme were not ideal. There was had been lots of rain prior and during the battle. The trenches were full of mud, rats and diseases. The mud made moving around in the trenches very hard which led to many cases of trench foot and also the mud made some on the Canadian’s guns not fire. There were many rats in the trenches because of the rotting bodies which led to disease spreading like lice.
Trench warfare has been used militarily since Roman times, although it came into widespread use in World War 1. The trenches were, of course, dirty. They could often become crowded, so any kind of wound sustained in the trenches was likely to become infected, whether it
The dreadful reality of death in war is present within the story, “The Things They Carried”. The story makes it obvious that the Alpha Company Squad was deeply moved by the effects of war. Lieutenant Cross, took the death of Ted Lavender personally and struggled with it. There are a couple symbols that we can take from Ted Lavender’s death. The reader of “The Things They Carried” can become engrossed it the story and become easily moved.
Well, that is exactly what it is like living in these trenches. The smell alone is awful. It is a smell of gas, sadness, fear, and rotting flesh. I have no words to explain this horrible stench. I find it very difficult to keep myself strong, watching young men around my age falling on top of each other.
Why was fighting in the western front such a new and terrible experience for the British soldiers? I think that the fighting in the western front such a new and terrible experience for the British soldiers because of the despicable trench conditions, the amazing new technology, the revolting fighting and the average leadership. I think that the trench conditions were the main reason as to why the fighting in the western fronts such a new and terrible experience for the British soldiers. I think that the new technology is the second most important reason because the British soldiers had a lot more updated equipment to help when they were in the war. Some of the new technology is Gas Grenades which were highly toxic and very effective weapons.