I didn't except to see the brutalities of war so soon. However living in the trenches has been such an experience. It often rains, causing water to pour down into the trenches and create mud. A few times there has been such a down pour that the mud and rain have reached all they way up to my knees!
With the abundance of mud it is difficult to keep clean. The trenches already are grimy and the scurrying rats sure do not help. At least they help decompose the dead bodies. Unlike the lice and other pestering insects which serve no purpose, besides irritating all the men by crawling over our bodies. A common disease in the trenches is trench foot. The feet of men swell up to three times their normal size and due to the mold and dirt. Oh how I'd give to take just one long bath back home.
There is always a foul smell in the air as well. The rotting dead bodies leave a distinct stench. This scent reminds me that soon I will have to go over the top. It worrying because no man's land has a dreary air to it. The trenches are normally considered safe except for the worry of a gas attack .The first had occurred on October 27, 1914. The Germans had fired 3,000 gas shells into our lines. We have taken many precautions to be prepared for another attack. Many observations occur and men stay up to awake those asleep just in case a gas attack does occur. As well as the use of sprayers and fans to remove the lingering gas.
If not the sanitation to worry about the commotion of machine guns, riffles, and explosive shells are heard constantly. A few of the older men today advised me to listen to the noises. The heavier shells rumbled very loudly where as the smaller shells whined.
No comments:
Post a Comment