24 Hrs In The Trenches (WW1 Documentary)

Have you ever wondered what life was like for a soldier on the frontlines during the First World War? In this video we explore what a typical 24-hour period of trench warfare was like on the Western Front.
Support us via Patreon: / battleguide

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thanks for taking the time to watch this video, we hope you found it worthwhile. We are proud to be able to share free content on here, but to keep doing so regularly, we would love your support. If you feel so inclined, please feel free to check out our Patreon page here: www.patreon.com/BattleGuide

[@Rommelev]

В россии такие траншеи прокопаны копателями с металлоискателем заново. А тут стоят целенькие без единой ямы... скучно живёте

[@Silverback8210]

Azvl

[@kylec171]

Hi

[@gavinblair6576]

​@@Rommelev 98 😊 8:22 8:22 8:23

[@pastyman001]

My Grandad, born in the 1890's, volunteered to fight in WW1 in a Lancashire Pal's regiment. He fought for 18 months in the Somme, eating nothing but bully (corned) beef and hard tack ( dog biscuits), sometimes sleeping upright in mud and drinking out of muddy puddles, always covered in lice. He fought hand to hand with Germans and hated it but it was either them or him. Him and his pals were so fed up with the food that they drew straws and he drew the short one. He had to stalk the Officer's Mess and steal a cooked chicken. They ate all the evidence and as a serious offence the whole group were punished but nobody ratted on him. A shell exploded next to him and he was seriously wounded. If a doctor had not given him a transfusion from his own arm he would have died. The clean sheets of the field hospital were like heaven after never having had a bath for months. He lived to 89 and died in Lancashire in the mid 70's.

[@jmcferran1]

I think I have the only WW1 trench bench. What happened is my grandfather, living in Indiana was working for a company that was asked to come up with a portable bench that could be used in the trenches of Europe. They came up with a prototype. That was about 42'" long by 16'' by 18'' heigh. made of metal but the legs could be folded to be about 2" thick. It had thin wood slats to sit on. The prototype was made, then the contract was canceled because the war ended. The company raffled off the bench and my grandfather won it. It was used by my grandmother for years to put laundry baskets on while hanging up the laundry. In time the slats got rotted and in 2000 I replaced the slats and cleaned up the bench. The family always referred to it as 'the trench bench''.

[@GeneralGouda]

They’d be pinned down sometimes by snipers, unable to move supplies in. So that means they’d go without food and water for extended periods of time. Not to mention the dead soldiers unable to be moved out properly, rotting. On top of all that, they had to relieve themselves in the trenches because they had no where else to go. They’d have buckets of waste, lining the trenches. It was absolute hell for these guys.

[@Trebor74]

Yeah, except at night.

[@GeneralGouda]

@@Trebor74 uh, no. 😂 You could get sniped at midnight just as easily as you could mid day. Lol.

[@Trebor74]

@@GeneralGouda sorry,forgot the Germans used night vision equipment,and bat ears.

[@vaderciya]

@@Trebor74 Just old rifle scopes, flares, and a great deal of patience

[@DW_Kiwi]

My father was a company runner in the first world war in Belgium. He use to tell me what life was like,. He got a small amount of Gas lurking in a hole running from shell bust hole to shell burst hole to deliver a message. He ended up in hospital because of it. At the time he was only 17 years old. Yes I know, he was under age to join up. Even lied about his state of his sight. Took the test by remembering the chart. He thought it would be a great adventure. In reality from his talks to me I got the impression that it was hell on earth. He had to sleep in water within the trenches and endure the relentless shelling from enemy guns.

[@iwillnoteatzebugs]

Many such cases: a lot of men joined with great enthusiasm, because a major war basically was not happening since 1870 , they quickly realized thry entered hell

[@MrPhoric]

At the end of the war the 'underage' soldiers on returning to Australia had to mandatorily repay the Australian government any monies that they had received during their service whilst under the legal age of enlistment. This is because the government viewed their enlistment as being illegal. The recruiters, training officers and force's personal all knew that these individuals were underage however still enabled and encouraged them to become or remain enlisted soldiers and as such fight and live as any other soldier. Whilst the underage soldiers fought with and for their comrades and the defence forces, the 'legal' soldiers and defence forces did not come to the aid of the so called illegal underage soldier's complication of having to reimburse the Australian government for 'theft' at the end of the war.

[@dyadyabafomyot1668]

Your father? How old are you then?!

[@silasmerzenich]

​@@dyadyabafomyot1668 Average american guy who lies about war to make himself important

[@LinseyGarner]

​@@dyadyabafomyot1668this person's so full of s***

[@austinhampton7999]

What a great quote. For those who didn’t make it til the end here it is” the war for me was 90% bored stiff 9% frozen stiff and 1% scared stiff.” A survivor of ww1

[@1337fraggzb00N]

@@AppleReviews which one?

[@msdecleir6389]

All of them… I think that last quote wasn’t written by a man who spent much time in actual warfare….

[@1337fraggzb00N]

@@AppleReviews k

[@RaffieFaffie]

@@msdecleir6389 What would you know

[@imscaredandconfused]

lmao "if you want to really know what trenches looked like, watch the new all quiet on the western front" nope, not true at all, it's not a great depiction. if you really want to know, you need to read books, first hand accounts, etc.

[@northernlight696]

My grandfather saw plenty of trenches with the New Brunswick 26th battalion in WW1 in Belgium and France. He was one of the few originals who returned in 1919 after sailing to Europe in June 1915 from Saint John.

[@markweldon564]

Im from NB an havent read about the New Brunswick 26th in awhile . Time to brush up.

[@northernlight696]

@@markweldon564 I have a book about the 26th which details the formation of the Battalion and their 4 years on the front line. It is called "A Family of Brothers" by Brent Wilson. The 26 was one of the few Battalions in WW1 who saw continued front line service during the war and awarded battle honors for Passchendaele, the Somme, Vimy Ridge and the rest of the major battles. My grandfather was shot in both legs by machine gun fire in March 1916, so I am glad the gunners aim were a little off or I would not be writing this.

[@kallelund4487]

@@northernlight696 wow, after he got shot in both legs and healed up he returned out there in front lines?

[@northernlight696]

@@kallelund4487 Yes, he was out of action for only a few week and then returned. Until I viewed his military records online, I knew very little about his war time exploits, from both wars. He died in 1964 when I was 12, so I barely knew him. He was quiet, had a temper and undoubtedly had a tough life. He was also one of the "British Home Children" and a native of Birmingham UK before being shipped to Canada in 1901. As for his wound in WW1, war records show that he was injured in one leg, not the 2 as we had always been told. I assume he got off with flesh wounds, as he seemed to walk ok when I knew him. I can understand now why he was so cold, much like his son, my father, a WW2 navy veteran. If you would like to see yourself, his name was Harry Ludford born 1892 and full details can be found online.

[@kallelund4487]

@@northernlight696 this is very intresting. If only could go back in time and ask him about the trenches and all would be so intresting. Thank u for sharing

[@christiankent8964]

Watching this a day before Armistice really hits home. Although living memory of WW1 is long gone, we can never forget what these young men and women on both sides sacrificed. I hope they're all resting easy.

[@tygobermind3640]

They are not resting, they are dead.

[@roar8865]

Thanks for letting us know your great level of knowledge@@tygobermind3640

[@Ieatasscrack]

@@tygobermind3640bro no shit,LIKE WHY ELSE WOULD HE SAY THAT?????

[@KD400_]

Women? Very few women fought. It was extremely rare u know that right

[@Ieatasscrack]

@@KD400_ facts bro, like why would they have a time in the VERY EARLY 1900’s where they put the females who DEFINE FEMININITY Out to WAR IN THE TRENCHES????

[@jaywalker3087]

My grandfather joined up in 1895 as a boy soldier. He served throughout the war. He came back a changed man with PTSD and nightmares till the day he died. ...

[@davidtycker]

My grand dad fought that war also. He died in 1975.

[@meeluanistyn1644]

My grandad lied about his age to join up in 1916. Badly wounded in spring 1918 and taken prisoner. He could not bring himself to speak about his experiences other than say it was “disgusting” and get very angry he’d been asked. I learned to leave his nightmares alone.

[@yeahnahman4217]

The common courtesy’s given between soldiers was amazing, you can nearly guarantee at some places a pact was made. “We don’t interrupt breakfast” we hear of things like Xmas piece, Germans and British playing games of football or cricket together, in Gallipoli the Turks kindly asked the Australians to stop throwing cricket balls around as the Turks thought they were bombs, again at Gallipoli and on many fronts “enemy’s” would exchange photos and letters, in the Australian war memorial there is tobacco that a Turkish soldier traded with an Australian Respect between men, understanding that the man you are trying kill is in fact another human

[@mats7492]

those were just normal people that held no grudge against their alleged enemies..

[@becky2235]

​@@mats7492let's pray it doesn't happen again for world war 3

[@swespeedy1]

You are presenting a few and very rare events, that might have occurred somewhere, as if they were a norm. The reality was totally different though. Exactly the opposite from what you wrote.

[@dinardsi9006]

Thank you for giving me some understanding of what my Great-uncle would have experienced. He served with The Black Watch (Royal Highlanders 1st/6th Battalion) and only survived a year in France, dying when he was only 20 years old. It astounds me when I compare myself and others at 19 or 20 and imagine how we would have been in the same situation.

[@user-cz1lt5hm7i]

My grandfather served in the trenches with the Royal Engineers --- your rendering helps me understand his experiences

[@ssgpentland8241]

the fact that more than 100 years later the land STILL is scared by WW1 shows just how insane this was

[@smithy280663]

I was lucky enough to go on a battlefield tour in Flanders in Dec 2023. I was taken to the very place where my grandfather was wounded just outside Messines near Ypres. He was with the Leinster Regiment, 16th Irish Division. It was an incredible, bucket list experience. He recovered from his wound and rejoined his regiment, seeing out the war in Palestine.

[@jacobrivers5728]

I read some of the diaries written by German soldiers who were shocked when brown men jumped into their trenches and engaged them in hand to hand fighting. They initially hated the brown men but later came to respect them for their courage. The brown men were in fact Indians fighting in British Army uniforms. 1.3 million Indian soldiers fought bravely in the World War One yet this is never taught in British classrooms or acknowledged on film. My Indian great-grandfather was one of them who fought in Flers-Courcelette in 1916, which resulted in a British victory.

[@Glee73]

i have been to the menin gate in ypres, there are many indian soldiers and which outfits they belonged to listed on the memorial there.

[@tedwarden1608]

Maybe I’m unusual but I’m very aware of the men from the sub content who fought in WW1 respect to them and all of the others who gave their lives in that appalling conflict. Also to the memory of my Grandfathers three brothers who didn’t come home and my other grandfather who lost half his hand. Only to serve in the merchant marine in WW2. He died in 1943 in the arctic convoys.

[@rudolfschock8492]

The British and the French let black and brown men of their colonies fight and die for the Empire - that is shocking!

[@staceyleeellis9160]

@@rudolfschock8492 war is shocking. How do you think the Roman or mongols operated ? It wasnt with pure bred Italians or horseman from the Asian steppe… similarly we have a Ukrainian alliance being funded by pretty much everyone. so yes the British had commonwealth patrons fighting against the Germans ,who were on a course to try and dominate the whole of Europe through any means they deemed necessary . Would you have had Germany win ?

[@ibexdnb2879]

That is so cool. Thanks for telling us.

[@jameshenderson3238]

My Grandfather was a soldier that took supplies via horse drawn wagon to the front lines of the trenches. Another factor was the incidence of trench death which is more commonly known as the Spanish Flu which caused the death of both sides during this time.

[@mollymccray6648]

Thank you so much for posting this. Means a lot to me! I’m 21 years old and love history and family genealogy. My paternal great- grandfather Luther Anderson from Ceres, Bland County, VA served in WW1 in France & was in the trenches. I came across a photo of him in his uniform that I had never seen before and got tears in my eyes. I couldn’t imagine what all he went through and witnessed. I believe he was in his early twenties, he suffered from the mustard gas & PTSD. I am beyond blessed to have been his great- granddaughter. God bless all of these men. ❤️

[@KD400_]

That's great. I wanna marry u tbh lol

[@jeningle8288]

I've just found your channel, and am finding it so interesting and informative. My grandad was there in the Royal Horse Artillery as a driver and farrier, he wouldnt speak of it, just cried big silent tears.xx

[@kingwokosalfordlad]

Rest in peace to everyone who never made it home 🌹 Thank you for your service and sacrifice. You will never be forgotten 🌍✌️💙

[@BeyondLimits3D]

Very well presented. Thank you. Definitely the best WWI trench informational video I've seen!

[@larsrons7937]

_90% bored stiff._ _9 % frozen stiff._ _1 % scared stiff._ ...life in a trecnh. Thanks for an interesting and informative video, well presented.

[@wilfamos7314]

Brilliant video. Read a fair bit about WW1, but learnt quite a lot here. Thanks for posting a quality well researched video. Time to check out some of your other videos.

[@nicolausenzweiler346]

Just discovered your channel and very glad I did! Wonderful content. Keep up the great work!

[@andymapplebeck2374]

Superb clean, crisp and to the point presentation, thankyou.

[@lenny3138]

Hard to believe I'm 45 and My grandfather was in this war. Boys became men on the fly! God bless them all.

[@mammuchan8923]

Just one day sounds dreadful, and this carried on for years 😥

[@BattleGuideVT]

I know... can you imagine how exhausted they must have been during their time on the front!

[@mammuchan8923]

@@BattleGuideVT Brutal😭

[@stephen8433]

@@mammuchan8923 My uncle was in the trench warfare and lost most of his hearing due to the shelling. He said the artillery knocked down all of the trees and with the rain, mud covered everything and you could not make out what was what so it was hard to target the enemy.

[@mammuchan8923]

@@stephen8433 that is so sad 😢. It must be indescribably terrifying 💔

[@DuraheLL]

Then imagine the Vietnam War. The worst mentally destructive harsh conditions

[@johntait491]

A very interesting and informative video. Well produced. Thank you. 👍

[@Itjustdoesntmatter]

This is the fourth video I’ve watch from you this morning. Some of the best world war related documentaries I’ve ever had a the pleasure of watching. I love how you overlap old maps with the current satellite images. Subbed 👍🏼

[@elliejobonney2926]

Brilliant!! xxx New subscriber. Thank you for the quality work xxx

[@darant2341]

Loved this vid, found it one of the most interesting things I had seen in a while.

[@etherealechoes9907]

First time on your channel...very good video! Professional, empathic and informative. I thought the demonstration of the layout of the trenches was good, as it can seem complex or simply not explained in other docs. I've studied WWI poetry as part of my first degree in Literature so it's always touched me as well as having relatives who died there. Hard to imagine the life between fear, boredom, lack of sleep and of course imminent death. Bless every one of them.

[@BattleGuideVT]

thanks very much, glad you enjoyed it!

[@GarrettMichael-wr8sw]

Hello 👋 greeting from general Michael.❤

[@richardglady3009]

Great video. Lots of good visuals. The narrative was also very good. Thank you for all your hard work.

[@rodintoulouse3054]

Another little jewel. Thank you

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thanks for the kind comment!

[@Geniusinventor]

Man, this video is amazing, and your voice is smooth. I appreciate it. Keep up the good work.

[@BattleGuideVT]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@kingjoe3rd]

It's really neat to see how modern military customs and routines trace their roots back to the trenches of The Great War. Everything from getting up at 4am, to being clean-shaven, all has its beginning here. The US Marines and US Army still follow these routines that they learned from the French and British back in 1917. The US military had been kind of an ad hoc force up until then and had not fought a serious war since 1865.

[@dv7768]

Actually the "stand to" from what I was told when I was in, traces itself all the way back to Rogers Rangers and the French Indian War. It was common for the Indians to attack at early morning.

[@stuglenn1112]

Actually being clean shaven and short hair traces it's origins all the way back to Alexander the great. While in modern times it morphed to hygienic reasons, Alexander ordered his men to cut their hair and shave their beards after he noticed that during combat the enemy would grab long hair or beard during the fighting. It became tradition from there.

[@garylancaster8612]

In the British Army and RAF no facial hair apart from a moustache is allowed in the Royal Navy full beards are fine.

[@swespeedy1]

@@stuglenn1112 In Austro-Hungarian army moustache was actually mandatory (prohibited to shave off) long into the second half of 19th century.

[@leovandijck5376]

Finaly a video about not only the combat times, but also there day to day activities

[@pilgrimspassage8834]

Very well put together 👍

[@Sherwoody]

I heard a description that if you wanted to feel like what it was like to live in a trench; dig a hole in your backyard, move into it, eat, sleep, use the lavatory etc., fill it half full of water, add rats, garbage, and lice. Be prepared to wake up quickly as someone may try to kill you at a moments notice.

[@resnonverba137]

Very well done. Thanks for upload. Lest we forget.

[@JustMe-um8zp]

Nice music used in the video. Keep up the work to pass the word on WW1. Well done.

[@meertin298]

I love that quote at the end.

[@SimonAmazingClarke]

Excellent video. The only thing that you didn't mention, at the start of the war there was the retreat from Mons, the defence of Paris then the push back until both lines stopped.

[@motaman8074]

Excellent video

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thanks!

[@BlackandWhiteshorts72]

Really enjoyed this, thank you.

[@JOSHSLEGO]

A very informational video, great job. Also I was thinking about that quote that you said ( I read it in a book ) just before you did say it.

[@mattd6495]

Beautiful video. Very educational. Thank you

[@zakiranderson722]

How to describe a harrowing experience So beautifully.

[@OTDMilitaryHistory]

Truly a hell on earth

[@Donathon-qx8kq]

Remember this was the war to end all wars.....for about a year.... something didn't work out

[@Pancakes13371]

That dudes haircut at 7:33 is genuinely hilarious.

[@timfromnc645]

My GF fought with 30th ID US. He wrote about the huge rats he saw and the mud. Living in the trenches for those few months was horrible. He could imagine the 3-4 years of it

[@rangerwhite5165]

"Forward he cried from the rear And the front rank died And the general sat And the lines on the map Moved from side to side" Roger Waters. Us and Them.

[@BattleGuideVT]

You might find our other video here about Generals in the First World War interesting.

[@becky2235]

Very true. Just praying with everything going on it doesn't go to world war 3

[@alansmith3327]

Hi you mention having a "Chat" this was Slang for de-lousing your uniform. The soldiers would sit around a lamp or candles and run the seams of the uniform through the flames. And wait for the pop as the lice exploded. Hence the saying " Having a Chat".

[@LucendsRanch]

This was very well done.

[@MrFishProd]

Reading the thumbnail caption was a struggle. Video was great.

[@jamesewanchook2276]

great vid, cheers from VAncouver!

[@mikhailiagacesa3406]

The Germans dug their trenches on high ground; deep and dry. The British dug theirs as close as they could to Germans; low ground(mud, really) with little drainage. On the other hand, British troops rested longer in reserve and they ate better than the Germans.

[@birdsoup777]

You make the best documentaries

[@thechawangtv]

I really appreciate your research all the past story is emotional life in amazing journey...Life just leave us as a story 😢

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thanks for watching!

[@chrisgraham2904]

As a Canadian today, it's impossible to comprehend what trench warfare was like in Europe during WWI. My English grandfather fought in the trenches in north-east France, but he never relayed any stories of the horrors that he struggled to forget. My mother well recalled her father finally returning from war, his hair turned white, his skeletal body 75 pounds lighter than when he had left, his body covered with lice and infested with parasites. Many years before the full recovery of his body and his mind.

[@seanb1081]

Very interesting. Well done mate!

[@maxasaurus3008]

Well spoken, a fine documentary!❤

[@USNavyMC]

@Battle Guide Well done! Do you have a day in the life of a soldier during the Vietnam War? I'm looking but don't see anything yet.

[@nickjohnson710]

This is great channel! Hope you do a video on the zone rouge in France

[@BattleGuideVT]

Great suggestion!

[@nickjohnson710]

@@BattleGuideVT I think many people on you're channel won't have heard of it, would be super interesting for them

[@joezoccali1812]

Great informative video

[@TheNinjaPicker]

Really good video, im impressed

[@BattleGuideVT]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@matteocervesato6372]

Complimenti per il video.😊😊😊😊😊..... Ecco perché I MONUMENTI DEDICATI A QUESTI RAGAZZI NELLE NOSTRE CITTÀ DOVREBBERO ESSERE PIENI DI FIORI E DI DONI ....😢😢😢😢😢SE LO MERITANO 😢😢😢😢SOLO PER TUTTO QUELLO CHE HANNO PASSATO....... VISTO E SOFFERTO 😢😢😢😢😢

[@robertjessen1554]

Very informative.

[@Weesel71]

Very nice presentation.

[@jesseprince5696]

This war stands out as the most collectively underestimated conflicts in history. If the roles of World War II and World War I were reversed, our perception of which was more severe would likely be drastically different. Examining the statistics reveals that the percentage of military deaths relative to the population of Europe was higher in World War I (2.5%) than in World War II (2.2%). However, World War II experienced a notably higher number of civilian casualties compared to World War I, potentially explained by the fact that World War I was primarily fought in regions with less densely populated civilian areas than the theaters of World War II. The nature of combat in these two wars differed significantly. World War I had large designated "combat zones" with relatively stable warfront locations, and major metropolitan areas were largely spared from direct conflict, especially on the Western and Eastern fronts. On the contrary, World War II battles were predominantly fought in strategic cities and regions. Unlike World War I, there were no clearly defined combat zones in World War II, leading to a more widespread impact on civilian populations

[@kevinallen6197]

I knew a u.s. soldier who was in w.w.1 He witnessed the airplanes dogfighting and cut the canvas off a burning crashed German airplane. He had it in his garage. Amazing old guy.

[@forrestry]

Informative. Thank you.

[@BattleGuideVT]

Glad it was helpful!

[@trevormiller8169]

Every soldier, has a sh't job ! "If it ain't raining, we ain't training!"

[@historyinyourhand1787]

Great video

[@BattleGuideVT]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Stew357]

New sub here, thank you very much!

[@pigpaul]

Hello from Las Vegas Nevada 🇺🇸

[@mattwitkowski6329]

Great account of trench warfare. Enjoyed watching.

[@tibettenballs4962]

Suqqq jobz. That WONT BURN. 🔥 Pulling SPEARM !! No trench diqq. Its HEAD. Head That YOU YEARN !

[@CalumMacNeil-qb6wp]

Go 9.43. this image i had in a dream many years ago.ITS SO REAL LIKE THE DREAM. ALSO THE DISMAL DISTANT GUN FIRE AND AWFUL DARK SMOKING SKY.My father and mother both lost relatives during ww1 in France .I visited the Strasbourg Cathedral when working in France a choir was singing. I turned cold it put shivers up my spine. It was all so haunting.🇬🇧🇫🇷

[@greatadventures7378]

I just purchased a book that was found in a German dugout in 1917. Lots of hand written notes inside.

[@Warmsunset26]

Reminds me of what mark Cavendish commented on the Tour de France - I wake in pain, I live in pain, I sleep in pain.

[@tonynewley1671]

No comparison. He could stop if he wanted. Don't trivialise history with pointless comparisons.

[@joeshmoe9978]

Interesting 👍

[@StormofSteelWargaming]

FYI, sections in the FWW British Army were 12 men strong in 1914, dropping to 9 later in the war.

[@seanbutnotasheeple2090]

Some of the stories we were told during training.... Attacking trenches with overhead cover, logs etc. Check it out. Daily routine hasn't changed.

[@minxythemerciless]

You missed out on one of the most important things for an infantryman. The latrine. What it was, how often it was available, and when it could be used.

[@michealgillman7418]

Fantastic...no one has cause to complain about their lives today, when you see what these men went through..what absolute heroes these men were!

[@gnhansen29]

Very interesting. I didn't realise that they weren't in the trenches for the whole war.

[@cottonmouth8394]

Most militaries still do “stand to” today, when out in the field. We were always told the tradition went all the way back to the American-Indian wars. Use to be an inside joke, “wake up, it’s 0630, the Indians are coming” then we would sit there all angry for acouple hours waiting for the sun to come up all the way. Hearing the actual history behind it makes it seem a lot less stupid than it felt at the time

[@deadlyoneable]

I was in the Navy and we did 6 hours on 6 hours off for three months. The crew eventually turned into zombies. I can’t even fathom what these men went though. This is on another level. Hard men create good times. Right now we have weak men so we are headed for bad times. The cycle continues….

[@d.optional3381]

The opinion of a man that dedicates their career to violence. Remarkably simple minded

[@johntait491]

Boats..? 🤔

[@deadlyoneable]

@@johntait491 correct. You are a genius.

[@thelegionisnotamused8929]

7 months running guard. 12 hour shifts. Day on, stay on. Sentry work. Folks started paying attention when people started having motor vehicle accidents.

[@suziq4394]

If your into this type of history.. its well worth trying to get your hands on a copy of the BBC fantastic series "The Trench" in which 20+ volunteers spent weeks in a specially reconstructed Trench in France. Theres never been anything as good or as close as that.

[@War_Legion]

I'm building my own trenches in my backyard

[@socialwebwiki]

There is nothing like „bravery in action“

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

Sure there is - and so is cowardice.

[@socialwebwiki]

@@dorianphilotheates3769 poor you

[@kristinawilde5931]

It's not that long ago, our elder grandparents deserve so much respect for what they did, I'm glad mine aren't alive Today to see the results of the absolutely craziness and selfish ways the 'generations today behave 😞

[@IanHibbs-bo3en]

By far the GREATEST generation the world has ever seen god bless all on all sides

[@ernreeders5583]

Thanks

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thank you very much!

[@xotleti]

People like to complain about newer generations and how they can't bear this level of discomfort and trauma, but I don't find it a problem at all? I liked to see men flying from Russia in order to avoid being drafted lol. Different times, different mentality, people are not so willing to sacrifice their lives for a few meters of frontier lines anymore. I'm so sorry for the young men from the past that never made it home. WW1 looked horrible and pointless. I hope one day we could all change our mentalities to no more war

[@johnpritchard5410]

My maternal grandfather was a PBI and a Gloster, and somehow survived four years....

[@lukeskywalker3329]

Were the Germans rotated less ? I was speaking to an army private about his routine . He said - " There is alot of HURRY UP AND WAIT !"

[@BattleGuideVT]

Yes. They also didnt really rotate sectors which the British sometimes did. A German division might spend the entire war in the same ares of front.

[@lukeskywalker3329]

@@BattleGuideVT thank you .

[@Glee73]

even in the modern army, its always "hurry up and wait".

[@stephen4121]

Talking of the endurance of handling the life in trenches and things being sent from home. Were there set periods where soldiers could use the heroine and cocaine sent to them by loved ones or was it as and when they felt the need? Found it quite an eye opening when found out about the care packages containing both, with syringes, in department stores in the UK for people to send to their loved ones in the trenches. Also then lead on the the discovery that drug prohibition is a relatively recent experiment and we used to be trusted to make our own decisions about these things.

[@robmontier3770]

Crystal meth could be bought 'over the counter' in Germany at the time. Trade name was Pervitin.

[@williamhoude4165]

Sending men over the top in broad daylight in open fields bunched up like at the Somme was sheer lunacy. Literally any other tactic would have been better.

[@clunkclickeverytrip]

No matter how serious a situation for brits a cup of tea first.

[@Pompomgrenade]

Great documentary.. really highlights that "back to the front"😅... Is cyclical history?