trenches

A soldier's lot

The drama of combat – going over the top, facing machine-gun fire and enduring terrifying artillery barrages – naturally dominates accounts of Passchendaele and other great battles, but behind the scenes, everyday human activities continued as best they could. Soldiers had to be fed and go to the toilet. If possible, they shaved and washed themselves and cleaned their clothes. When they were not in combat, they carried out routine chores: cleaning their rifles and other gear, filling sandbags, repairing trenches or digging latrines. If they got any free time, they usually spent it reading or writing letters or diaries, playing cards or trying to snatch a few moments of sleep. Even amid the horror of war, daily life was often a mixture of routine and boredom.

And poor Jim was laying there cuddled up in a heap as men die. Don’t forget we was all young, we didn’t die easy. You don’t die at once, you’re not shot and killed stone dead. You don’t die at once. We were all fit and highly trained and of course we didn’t die easy, you see. You were slow to die and you’d find them huddled up in a heap like kids gone to sleep, you know, cuddled up dead.

From interview with Sidney Stanfield - hear and read more