Daily duties in the trenches.
In the trenches, troops guarded against a dawn raid by the enemy with a “stand to” early every morning, in which the troops stood in wait, prepared to fire in case of an attack.
At dawn, a round of firing, known as the “morning hate” marked the start of warfare. Sometimes this round of firing was merely to test the weapons and ward off an early morning ambush.
Soldiers then cleaned their rifles and machine guns for an inspection by senior officers.
Post-inspection, breakfast was served. Breakfast was often an unofficial truce between the Allied and Central troops.
Following breakfast, soldiers were assigned daily chores such as draining the trenches and repairing duckboards, refilling sandbags, and repairing the trenches and cesspools.
Soldiers were also assigned duties at listening posts, as snipers, or as sentries at the fire step.
At dusk the soldiers again prepared for a “stand to.” This was also the time when ammunition and supplies were replenished. Falling asleep at the fire step was punishable by death at the hands of a firing squad.
Night patrols into “No Man’s Land” monitored enemy movement and repaired the barbed wire fences.
At dawn, a round of firing, known as the “morning hate” marked the start of warfare. Sometimes this round of firing was merely to test the weapons and ward off an early morning ambush.
Soldiers then cleaned their rifles and machine guns for an inspection by senior officers.
Post-inspection, breakfast was served. Breakfast was often an unofficial truce between the Allied and Central troops.
Following breakfast, soldiers were assigned daily chores such as draining the trenches and repairing duckboards, refilling sandbags, and repairing the trenches and cesspools.
Soldiers were also assigned duties at listening posts, as snipers, or as sentries at the fire step.
At dusk the soldiers again prepared for a “stand to.” This was also the time when ammunition and supplies were replenished. Falling asleep at the fire step was punishable by death at the hands of a firing squad.
Night patrols into “No Man’s Land” monitored enemy movement and repaired the barbed wire fences.