Trench Construction

When thinking about trenches, many do not actually think about the construction and preparation of the trench. This part of trenches is one of the toughest times for the soldiers. Not only was much of their power drained from them, they also were at great risk to the enemy’s firepower which meant that they had to continue digging for most of their nights. In fact, 2700 man-hours at night time were needed to complete the construction of the trenches.

The process of the construction began with a short trench being dug. Side by side a large group of soldiers would dig about ten whole feet deep, this being called entrenching. The next process was called sapping, which only needed two or three diggers. This was when the trench was  extended at the sides. Soldiers dug with their hands; only lucky ones were given a shovel. These processes would be repeated many times.

Sand-bagging was then done. In order to prevent water from rising too high, sand bags were lain across the ground to soak up all of the water and the then-produced mud. Sand bags were also accompanied by wooden frames and wire mesh and sometimes even wooden boards on the sides of the trenches. 

Trenches were always in a zig zag shape which meant that if an enemy was ever to enter the trench, they could not see past 10m or so. Also, if a bomb was to land inside the trench, it would only blow up the minority of the trench which could easily be constructed once more. It was also difficult for the enemy to map the trench if it was in such a shape.

The term used to describe the side of the trench facing the enemy was ‘parapet’. The rear side was known as ‘parados’. When an army would capture a trench, they would then change the parados to the parapet.

Living in trenches was a horrific experience. Yet, constructing them was just as bad.