🌍 Travel Blog S1E5: WWI Trenches in Verdun

(How life in a trench looked like, captured near Fort Douaumont)

Soldiers lived in narrow trenches dug into the ground. The conditions were horrible. Boredom was a constant problem. Soldiers carried out their chores and tried to catch sleep whenever they had the opportunity.

Soldiers on the front line were far away from home and their families, they wrote diaries and letters to record their experiences.

Trenches were smelly and full of water. Standing in the water too long often caused a disease called 'Trench Foot'. Rats, the size of cats, invested the trenches feeding off dead bodies. As well as this, Lice, sat inside clothing, causing itching and trench fever. 'Shell Shock' was a frequent trauma caused by the fighting and bombing of the front line. Symptoms included panic attacks and blank stares.

Of course, disease wasn't the only danger. Soldiers were in constant fear of snipers and artillery. Popping your head above the trenches was incredibly dangerous, so periscopes could be used while on watch.

(German Soldier diving out of the way of exploding shell)

Going over the top to attack the enemy into no man's land was the most dreaded order a soldier would hear.

(Soldiers going over the top)

The trenches we visited are located by the road, close to Fort Douaumont (which I will talk about more in a future blog). Here are a few photos I took from there, but keep in mind that during WWI the forest didn't exist. The nature is doing its best to recover from the scars.

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