What types of illness did the soldiers suffer from in the trenches?

Answer 1

sometimes the weather was the cause of disease, like trench foot where the soldiers were stood for hours on end in wet, cold and insanitary conditions. If it was left untreated, trench foot could turn gangrenous and result in amputation.

Answer 2

The type and nature of the trench positions varied a lot, depending on the local conditions. The trench sides will crumble easily after rain so would be built up with wood, sandbags or any other suitable material. The ground is naturally boggy and the water table very high, so trenches were not really dug, more built up using sandbags and wood ( these were called 'breastworks(.Y.) )

There is a front line, or "Main Fire Trench" facing the enemy. It is not straight, but follows contours or other natural features allowing good defence or a view over the enemy lines. Thousands of men became casualties in fighting for, or making small adjustments to their lines, to give this cover or observation. It also is dug in sections rather than a straight line, so if a shell explodes inside one of these or an enemy gets into one, only that section is affected. Behind it is another line, similarly made, called a support line . In this would be found 'dugouts' cut into the side of the trench wall, often very small but with room for perhaps three or four men to squeeze in for shelter. Probing out from the front line were trenches usually called 'saps', which often went beyond the protective belts of barbed wire, terminating somewhere in 'no man's land' between the two opposing front lines in a listening post, manned by one or two infantrymen. The cross-section shows how the front and rear of the trench was ideally protected and built up using sandbags at the front and rear :)

The enemy had a very similar system of trenches. The distance between the two lines varied from as little as 30 yards to several hundred yards. The space between the two opposing lines was called no man's land. As defensive and offensive tactics developed later in the war, trench positions became formidable fortresses with barbed wire belts tens of yards deep in front of them, and concrete shelter :)

The trenches were dug up dirt for shelter and protection. They were often crowded and sometimes quite filled up with rain water.

Answer 3

trenchfoot was a big problem in the trenches in ww1. The wet waterlogged trench were the perfect place for trench foot to happen the different weather conditions were another big problem, they had only a few items of clothing, obviously these weren't suitable for every weather condition. Alot of soldiers often suffered with shell- shock and homesickness.

and beth johnstone is a legend.

Answer 4

I can think of only one way. After the grass and trees had been killed by constant artillery bombardment, rain turned the earth into mud and slush, and the dampness caused a dreadful condition known as trench foot among the soldiers walking through it. Trench foot was also encountered in WW2 and possibly other wars, but mostly it was a feature of WW1, hence the name. Other than the constant dampness caused by a combination of defoliation and precipitation, the weather affected WW1 soldiers as it would the soldiers of any other war. At least by WW1 self-contained cartridges were standard, and the soldiers need not take measures to keep their gunpowder dry, but the mud and dampness did require them to provide additional maintenance of their weapons and other equipment, lest they fail when needed most.

Answer 5

There were many problems that the soldiers faced in the trenches. The first problem is that there was a weapon called the Horwitzer Cannon. This cannon was developed by the Germans. There is no way to defend from it so the best way was to dig a hole and hope that the missile does not land there. The second problem was that the living space was cramped and the diseases were wide spread. The most dangerous disease was trench foot. This disease was cause by the foot remanining in water for long periods of time.Such as 3 to 4 days. when this occurs the foot starts to rot and it has to be cut off.

Answer 6

getting burned alive and trench foot