How did soldiers stay warm in ww1?

In the winter we had our normal clothes on, we had thick woollen underwear and woollen shirts, and then we had a cardigan or a pullover and then our uniform. Then on top of that we had our overcoat. During the winter of 1917 we had sheepskin coats issued for the troops who were manning the front line only.

How did soldiers keep warm?

The insulating layer traps warm air against the body. Soldiers can use multiple insulating layers, depending on their activity level and the outside temperature. Light, bulky fabrics such as wool, down, polyester fleece or synthetic pile fabrics that trap air make the best insulating layers.

How did soldiers survive the cold in ww1?

The men had to stay for weeks at a time in the trenches, swimming in water, without planking to walk on, and without the knowledge which has since been gained on how to preserve the feet from the scourge of frost-bite, or water-bite as it should be called.

What did soldiers sleep on in ww1?

6. Getting to sleep. When able to rest, soldiers in front line trenches would try and shelter from the elements in dugouts. These varied from deep underground shelters to small hollows in the side of trenches – as shown here.

How did soldiers stay warm in ww2?

With them, they had heavy jackets, enough food, and firewood in their camps to keep them warm at night. They also had coats, hats, heavy boots, gloves, and other clothing that helped keep them warm during the winter.

How soldiers relaxed during WW1 | History - I Was There: The Great War Interviews

How did soldiers go to the toilet in ww1?

These latrines were trench toilets. They were usually pits dug into the ground between 1.2 metres and 1.5 metres deep. Two people who were called sanitary personnel had the job of keeping the latrines in good condition for each company.

How often did soldiers shower in ww1?

About once every week to ten days, Soldiers would go to the rear for their shower. Upon entering the shower area they turned in their dirty clothing. After showering they received new cloths.

How was trench fever dealt with?

Soldiers had a name for lice, “cooties,” and external treatments were called “cootie oils.” As with typhus on the Eastern Front - a rickettsial disease that killed soldiers - control of lice was the key to managing the epidemic of Trench Fever.

How did soldiers get rid of rats in ww1?

Cats and terriers were kept by soldiers in the frontline trenches to help free them of disease-carrying rats. The terriers were actually very effective in killing rats. There is difference between a cat and a terrier when it comes to rodent control.

Did soldiers in ww1 eat rats?

With no proper disposal system the rats would feast off food scraps. The rats grew bigger and bolder and would even steal food from a soldier's hand. But for some soldiers the rats became their friends. They captured them and kept them as pets, bringing a brief reprisal from the horror which lay all around.

Does shell shock still exist?

The term shell shock is still used by the United States' Department of Veterans Affairs to describe certain parts of PTSD, but mostly it has entered into memory, and it is often identified as the signature injury of the War.

What did soldiers do for fun in ww1?

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.

What was winter like in ww1?

Winter in the trench combined the worst of the fall with cold weather. There was still rain but also below freezing weather and snow. Frostbite was rampant sometimes leading to amputation. Trenches did not provide any warmth.

How do soldiers pee in battle?

Porta-Johns. Yes, we have "Porta-sh*tters" located on the frontlines. For the most part, they're located on the larger FOBs. To keep these maintained, allied forces pay local employees, who live nearby, to pump the human discharge out of the poop reservoirs.

How do soldiers survive in the cold?

For six days, Soldiers are out in the snow and cold, skiing, snowshoeing and staying warm at night in either heated tents or non-heated shelters made from pine boughs.

What part of the body did trench rats eat first?

What part of the body would the rats eat first? The trench rats would eat the soldiers' eyes first.

How did they stop trench foot?

How is trench foot prevented and treated? When possible, air-dry and elevate your feet, and exchange wet shoes and socks for dry ones to help prevent the development of trench foot. Treatment for trench foot is similar to the treatment for frostbite.

What is the morning hate in ww1?

Stand To and the Morning Hate

Accompanying stand to, as the light grew, was the daily ritual often termed the 'morning hate'. Both sides would often relieve the tension of the early hours with machine gun fire, shelling and small arms fire, directed into the mist to their front: this made doubly sure of safety at dawn.

Was trench fever caused by lice?

Bartonella quintana infection (historically called 'trench fever') is a vector-borne disease primarily transmitted by the human body louse Pediculus humanus humanus.

Can animals get trench fever?

B quintana causes both trench fever and urban trench fever. Humans are the predominant reservoir of the pathogen, although infection has been documented in some nonhuman primates and in cats. In infected persons, the organisms can be found in human blood, tissues (particularly skin), and urine.

How did soldiers poop in trenches?

Everyone poops, and millions of soldiers pooping in a line generates a lot of waste. These soldiers would bury or otherwise dispose of the waste whenever possible, but buried waste was susceptible to floating free of its confines whenever it rained.

Where did they poop in the trenches?

The latrines was the name given to trench toilets. They were usually pits, 4 ft. to 5 ft. deep, dug at the end of a short sap.

What was hygiene like in ww1?

Due to unwashed bodies and clothes, open latrines, and the odor of nearby corpses and trash, the trenches - and all who spent time in them - smelled awful. Not only did soldiers in the trenches have pungent body odor, their infrequent bathing and laundry caused them to attract and spread lice to their fellow soldiers.