Research Trench Life

Research conditions in a trench and write notes: Pages Technology War and Identities Use p16-21 Challenge and Change,20-22 The Twentieth Century World, Technology War and Identities, booklets and the internet. Look at examples of genuine letters.

Letters home hways/firstworldwar/military_conflict/p _lomax.htm hways/firstworldwar/military_conflict/p _lomax.htm

Imagine you are a young soldier sent to fight on the Western Front during World War One. Describe your experiences in the trenches in a letter to your parents. Or you could write a diary. You should include all of the words in your letter. Tick them off as you use them. Level 4 A simple description of life in the trenches. Level 5 You describe conditions and explain why soldiers lived and fought like this. Level 6 You describe conditions in more detail and explain why soldiers lived and fought like this and also show that you have done own research. You use primary evidence to back up your writing. Level 7 As Level 6 but you compare the experience of trench warfare with other groups eg officers, Germans or airmen or navy. Phrases that you could adapt for your own use: “I will never forget these terrible conditions …” “It was so horrible, I can hardly bring myself to write about it …” “So many innocent lives have been lost …” “I am so lucky to have survived so far- I will never forget those who died fighting alongside me …” “The trench is horrible, but it gives us somewhere to rest……”  Trench  Dug out  No Man’s Land  Barbed Wire  Mud  Machine Gun  Lice  Flies  Rats  Smell  Gas  Gas mask  Rifle  Soldier  Rations  Bombing

Research Use p16-21 Challenge and Change,20-22 The Twentieth Century World, Technology War and Identities, booklets and the internet. Look at examples of genuine letters. Film Living and Dying from minutesLiving and Dying _wwone_m ovies.shtml _wwone_m ovies.shtml Illustrate with pictures maps and diagrams

Some sentence starters ….. I was so keen to join up with my mates..... As I sit here writing this letter let me describe my surroundings. My trench is…. (how deep, wide, firestep, duckboards etc describe or draw) To make matters worse..(mud?) Every day we face..(mention the attacks, weapons gas etc) I also have to cope with…(lice, rats, trenchfoot, dirt, boring food, noise) In addition….(more things that make life uncomfortable!) Most of my mates…. You should see the rats…. I have heard reports…. I wonder what it is like for…. I could really do with…. Could you send me..... Every day I see Describe this What do you see here?

DIFFERENT UNITS TO WHICH A SOLDIER BELONGED A section under a lance-corporal - of about 15 A platoon under a subaltern - of about 60 A company under a captain - of about 250 A battalion under a major - of about 1,000 A regiment under a colonel - of about 2,000 A brigade under a brigadier - of about 4,000 A division under a major general - of about 12,000 A Corps under a lieutenant-general - of about 50,000 An army under a general - of about 200,000

Each division had about 18 miles of road. When the column started off, full discipline applied. With the order "at ease", rifles could be slung; and with the order " easy", men could smoke and sing. The routine never changed throughout the whole war. Men marched for 50 minutes in the hour, covering in that time three or four miles, and 12 to 15 miles in the day. Each 50 minutes the whistle blew and men collapsed to the ground, slackening their belts and sliding forward at the roadsides to use their packs as pillows. WEIGHT OF PACKS The weight of the clothing, rifle,100 rounds, trench tools, webbing, the pack, rations and water has been estimated at 55lbs.(24 kg.). This was the minimum. Spare underwear, shaving and washing kit, cigarettes and matches etc. had to be added. Often spare pieces of equipment like Verey flares, periscopes and wirecutters would be shared out. SERVICE IN THE TRENCHES Of the in a division only 2000 were in the front line at any one time. The Black Watch once served 48 days unrelieved but this was exceptional. A typical month was 4 days in the front line, 4 in support, 8 in reserve and the remainder at rest.

PAY The basic pay was one shilling (5 pence) per day. The average was one shilling and ninepence (9 new pence). The men who supplied the front line troops (the Army Service Corps) might receive six shillings (30 new pence) per day and be in much less danger.

Have you…. Level 4 A simple description of life in the trenches. Level 5 You describe conditions and explain why soldiers lived and fought like this. Level 6 You describe conditions in more detail and explain why soldiers lived and fought like this and also show that you have done own research. You use primary evidence to back up your writing. Level 7 As Level 6 but you compare the experience of trench warfare with other groups eg officers, Germans or airmen or navy. Really explained? “the trenches are appalling.” or “the trenches are terrible, filled with mud and water. On some days the water is up to my waist and you can’t walk because of the mud.” Shown you understand why they are fighting in a trench? “We have not been very successful to push back Fritz. It seems no one is going anywhere!” Written in enough detail? Used the evidence in the text books/eye witness accounts? Used an appropriate date – the war lasted from Aug 1914 to November You would get a higher level by linking your letter to events. There are lots of timelines available online.