life in the trenches by Ari Eisenberg

"Standing to"

1700696_2 — 2025-03-17 15:14:44 UTC

Every dusk and dawn everyone had to "stand to" and fire their rifles.

Digging Trenches

15000205 — 2025-03-17 15:15:21 UTC

The main work done in trenches was digging. this was to repair bombed out trenches. duckboards were laid. along with sandbags at more important places

Hand Pumped Water

1700696_2 — 2025-03-17 15:16:34 UTC

Water had to be hand-pumped out of the trenches.

Salvaging Water

1700696_2 — 2025-03-17 15:18:26 UTC

Every drop of water had to be saved for drinking, leaving none for cleaning or anything else.

Supply Lines

15000205 — 2025-03-17 15:19:49 UTC

supplies from the rear were brought to the front trench during night time as well to protect from enemy fires

Sentries

15000205 — 2025-03-17 16:11:16 UTC

Sentries sat and watched over trenches, looking for any enemy. They needed a sharp eye to tell friend from foe.

Rats

1700696_2 — 2025-04-03 11:34:54 UTC

Rats were found all across the Western front, eating the corpses that remained from the war.

Smells

1700696_2 — 2025-04-03 11:38:32 UTC

Throughout the trenches, constant odors were coming from the dead bodies, unwashed living bodies, gunpowder, and more.

Pneumonia

1700696_2 — 2025-04-03 11:40:33 UTC

Due to the cold and dampness, pneumonia became common for soldiers in the trenches.

Snipers

1700696_2 — 2025-04-03 11:43:00 UTC

Snipers were a constant threat because they were often hidden, leading to the soldiers not even noticing them before they were killed.