Trench Warfare

Landscape of Ypres

Approximately fifteen miles north of Ypres lies flat land that runs right to the sea. Starting at a small town called Dixmude and going directly east of Ypres are small subtle ridges that set the town in an arc. South of this town, the ridges join and make one large ridge that passes through Messines. West of Ypres is very flat country. To the southwest of Ypres and west of Messines lie the Flemish Hills. There were many small groups of trees all over the country side which were thick. Small towns and villages spread along bush lines and roads which made it hard for gunmen to observe, but it was also perfect for infantry to defend. They are various small streams and rivers that run towards the south to southeast.

Trench Warfare

From 1914 until 1918, trench warfare had contributed to the stalemate on the western front. Both countries were constantly digging, positioning, re-positioning the trenches in hopes to gain that extra edge on the enemy. Death was not a rarity in the trenches, even when enemy fire had stopped. One of the most common ways of death in the trenches was a new soldier peering over the edge of the trench only to be picked off by a sniper or enemy shots. Everyone was warned that they should not look into no mans land for that reason.

Rats were another way of death in the trenches. They infested the trenches by the thousands and even into the millions. There were two main types of rats - the black and brown. Both were feared among the men, but the brown rat was especially feared. Both rats would feed on dead human bodies and would disfigure them badly. Due to the rapid reproduction of the rats, disease was spread easily and the food was also contaminated. Lice was also another problem. They would lie in the seams of the men's clothing and would cause them to itch. After the war, it was found out that lice was the cause of trench fever. Trench fever was a very painful disease. It started off with a sharp pain and then turned into a bad fever. In order to recover from this, the soldier would have to stay in a bed for twelve weeks. One of the most painful things a man had to endure in the trench was trench foot. This was caused by wet, soggy, unclean conditions in the trenches. A mans foot could swell up two to three times its normal