How much sleep did WW1 soldiers get?

7. Daily life. Most activity in front line trenches took place at night under cover of darkness. During daytime soldiers would try to get some rest, but were usually only able to sleep for a few hours at a time.

What time did ww1 soldiers wake?

“Stand-to” at Dawn. Each dawn, the usual time for an enemy attack, soldiers woke to “stand-to,” guarding their front line trenches. Afterwards, if there had not been an assault, they gathered for inspections, breakfast, and the daily rum ration.

What did ww1 soldiers do at night?

Night work

Construction parties beavered away repairing trenches and fortifications, laying duckboards and wire and preparing artillery positions. To help detect enemy activity along the front, both sides established observation ('listening') posts in front of their trenches.

What did soldiers in ww1 do for fun?

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.

How did soldiers in the trenches sleep?

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.

What life was like for World War I soldiers in the trenches

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.

What did ww1 soldiers eat?

By the First World War (1914-18), Army food was basic, but filling. Each soldier could expect around 4,000 calories a day, with tinned rations and hard biscuits staples once again. But their diet also included vegetables, bread and jam, and boiled plum puddings. This was all washed down by copious amounts of tea.

How did soldiers bathe in ww1?

Since Baths And Laundries Weren't Available At The Front, The Trenches Reeked Of Body Odor. In order to extend the stamina of their troops, soldiers rotated their time in the trenches. Units set up facilities away from the front lines that soldiers could use to be deloused, launder their clothes, and rest.

Did soldiers fight at night in ww1?

The evolving nature of trench warfare led to new patterns of fighting. The area between the trench lines, known as 'no man's land', was the key ground, especially at night, for fierce combat between opposing front line troops, as patrols were sent out to gather information about their enemy's defences.

Did soldiers survive going over the top?

Going over the top could be a devastating experience. If the artillery had done its job, the enemy's barbed wire fences would be shredded and the defenders killed. But all too often this was not the case. German defences were extremely deep and strong.

What was the penalty for falling asleep on sentry duty?

The duty of a sentinel is of such a nature, that its neglect by sleeping upon or deserting his post may endanger the safety of a command, or even of the whole army, and all nations affix to the offence the penalty of death. Private William Scott of Co. K.

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.

Did soldiers get bored in the trenches?

For much of the time, the greatest enemy was boredom. Soldiers spent about 60% of their time well away from the front line. Here they had easy access to alcohol and cigarettes. They spent a lot of time in relatively comfortable surroundings.

How much weight did a ww1 soldier carry?

Around World War I, approximate march weights jumped to 85 pounds. U.S. soldiers trained with at least 60 pounds but carried additional rations and munitions in combat.

What does morning hate mean in ww1?

THE MORNING HATE

A typical day in the trenches would begin early, with the "stand to". This was when soldiers would fix their bayonets and take up vigilant positions on the steps of the trenches, preparing for any devastating onslaught that might be coming their way.

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.

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.

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 did ww1 soldiers taste?

The bulk of their diet in the trenches was bully beef (caned corned beef), bread and biscuits. By the winter of 1916 flour was in such short supply that bread was being made with dried ground turnips. The main food was now a pea-soup with a few lumps of horsemeat.

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.

Why did soldiers drink rum in ww1?

Rum (indeed alcohol generally) served three main purposes in the war: firstly as a morale booster; secondly as what is known as a “combat motivator” and, thirdly, very often as a coping mechanism and all three merged quite seamlessly into the other, their purposes over-lapping, as time progressed.

How did ww1 soldiers deal with lice?

Men in the trenches killed lice by 'chatting' - crushing them between finger nails - or burning them out with cigarette ends and candles.

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 shave in ww1?

Some soldiers took to using cold tea as shaving water – better than drawing water from a muddy puddle although even this likely sufficed in an emergency. As Thomas himself pointed out, cutthroat razors were lethally sharp and dangerous in battle.