A guide to survival in the Trenches

The First World War 1914 – 1918

Authors note:
I myself have been in the trenches and in this guide it should help you survive as best you can in the trenches. But don’t be fooled, it is not easy at all, this will make things easier but it will still be extremely harsh.

Dangers in the trenches

Whilst serving your time in the trenches you will be faced with many health and environmental dangers and horrors. These dangers can vary from a few rats that you can kill to lethal mustard gas that will mutate you and will kill you in up to 2 months.
Although it sounds disgusting, the only way you and avoid dying from the mustard gas is by urinating on a cloth and putting it over your mouth and nose making sure you breathe through the cloth, that way the cloth will be thick enough that the gas will not be able to seep through your cloth.
Mustard gas is an extremely horrible war crime but it is not the most disgusting. The most horrendous things that can attack you are your own feet. Due to the dead infected bodies and the soggy grounds, water can seep into your boots and then it can get into your foot. From this diseased water, you can develop something we call ‘trench foot’. Trench foot is a horrible fungal spreading that can result in the loss of your feet. The only way you will prevent trench foot is constantly changing your boots and sock, and regularly drying your feet.

Rationing and facilities in the trenches