We’ve all seen pictures of brave troops ‘going over the top’ in the Great War, but the conflict wasn’t all about daring attacks. A lot of the time was spent waiting, eating, sleeping and performing maintenance in the trenches. So, we thought we’d show you a few pictures that we think epitomise this strange existence, spent away from home and living down a muddy hole, experiencing a mixture of terror and boredom each day.
A direction post at the dump behind Burnt Tank Trenches, Palestine, with a monkey, presumably a regimental mascot, sitting on the top
A Padre of the 1st Munsters in a trench near Cambrai, October 8th 1918, saying a prayer over two British soldiers killed in the trench by a German shell
A sentry of the 12th East Yorkshire Regiment on the fire-step of a trench near Roclincourt, Jan 9th 1918, wearing a mackintosh cape over his military great coat
A working party of the Manchester Regiment, making their way along duckboards, carrying picks, spades and rifles, to reach some trenches near Serre. January 1917
Early days of trench warfare, men of the South Staffordshire Regiment are in No 8 trench near Wulverghem in 1915
Ginchy, Sept 9th 1916, wounded man being helped by comrades, crossing a trench on his way to a dressing station
Men of the 15th Australian Battalion sleep beside a German trench-mortar in Pear Tree trench after the position had been taken, Hamel 1918
Croix du Bac, 1916, three Australians in a Front Line trench shortly after the ANZACS arrived in France
Two men of the Cameronians (Scottish_Rifles) stood in a water-logged trench at Bois Grenier, early in 1915
Captain H E Lee of a Scottish regiment, writing a letter home from a trench at Grand Flamengrie Farm, February 1915
