What was it like to be in a WW1 trench?

Imagine if you dug a hole in your backyard 8 - 10 ft deep and put about 6 inches of water in it and a few rats. Imagine trying to sleep there. Then imagine being there while someone was shooting bullets and artillery shells at you all day long. Add to that the fear of knowing that sooner or later you would be ordered to 'go over the top' . Meaning you had to leave the protection of the trench cross 'no man's land' and attack the enemy trench while they're shooting machine guns and artillery at you. Add to that the terrible smells of war that you couldn't escape from, like the smell of dead and decaying bodies and human waste. The soldiers had to relieve themselves in the trenches also.

Imagine having to live like that day after day for a year or two or three...and then understand it was even worse than you can imagine.

It was pretty miserable. There were a lot of problems with rats, and the rats would sometimes eat the food in the trenches. The soldiers had no choice but to share with the rats. There was also the problem of trench foot, which was a fungal infection caused by long immersion in water or mud that would lead to tissue death. Its effects are very similar to gangrene. Also, if it rained, you would be stuck in the muddy trenches, possibly up to your knees in water and mud.

Depends what side you were on.

The Germans being the invaders were more than happy to stay where they were holding onto the land they conquered; they built their trenches for long-term use. They specifically chose the high ground, dig deep down, created large underground sleeping and sitting rooms and even furnished them.
They were quite comfy and functional actually.

The French British and Commonwealth Generals had no intention of being satisfied staying where they were with every intent of advancing to push the Germans back. As the Germans held the high ground the Allies had to made due with the low ground which was prone to flooding compounded by the fact the Germans fired down upon them and in turn the Allies had to fight uphill - none of which is pleasant. Being prone to flooding they couldn t very well dig deep and a soldiers bedroom was a small cave carved out of the side of the trench itself.

Random add, the superstition three off a match is bad luck originated from the trenches.
It is one thing to risk being seen lighting a cigarette period which gives your position away, even worse to light a buddy s cigarette... but by the time you lit a third persons a sniper would have had a headshot.

"First cigarette draws attention to the light at night.
Second cigarette gives the range.
Third cigarette allows a leisurely shot."
> WWI phrase.

There are many YouTube videos/documentaries that cover that very topic. I suggest you look them up, it will be worth your while. You'll be shocked and amazed at what troops went through.

Depends where, and what type of trench. Extreme boredom was the main problem in many sectors of the various fronts.

Not any fun at all.

Safer than not being in a trench. Artillery was the biggest killer of the First World War, a well-made trench would offer some protection from a barrage, even so a direct or close hit could collapse even the best made trench and scatter white hot shards of jagged metal that would rip through mud and uniforms and men.

And the mud is significant, the north east of France, for example, was a farming area, and had been manured for centuries, it was packed with all kinds of bacteria – when a shell exploded it picked up those bacteria and deposited them in the wounds, causing infection with only limited medical responses.

It sucked.

very shitty. There were times in which there was no action for weeks, there was humidity that caused soldiers to lose feet because of fungus, and if the germans throw mustard gas, then you would be ******

Cold, Muddy, with hints of Blood, Gore & Poop mixed In- for good Measure. Not exactly the most Pleasant Place to rest Your Head. :(