Wiring parties during world war 1?

Answer 1

Both sides did this. Groups of soldiers late at night would slip as quietly as possible out of their trenches and go in front of them to add to existing wire or create new wire obstacles. This was barbed wire, such as is used in pasture Fencing. Some soldiers carried heavy spools of wire, others carried stakes to be driven into the ground and upon which the wire would be strung. The spools of wire would have a stick through the middle so it would spin and the wire could be unspooled and stretched between the stakes. Somebody had to have wire cutters for when it was necessary to cut the wire. They might have metal stakes or wooden ones, and they might wrap the wire around the stakes or they might have to tack it to the wooden stakes, which would make noise. Any noise could be deadly. Enemy soldiers would be on watch all night. Periodically they would fire flares into the air, from flare pistols, to light up the area. These flares had little parachutes and burned brightly as they drifted down. If the wiring party heard the pop of the flare pistol they would instantly throw themselves to the ground, and lie motionless until the flare burned out. If they were unable to get on the ground before the flare lit up, they had to freeze and remain absolutely still until the flare burned out, and hope and pray the enemy did not see them. If they were seen the enemy would open up with machine guns, and they had to try to get back in their trenches before being killed, unless there was a shell crater handy to jump into. If the enemy heard noises he might open up with the machine guns in the direction of the noise without waiting for a flare to go up. In some places along the front the trenches were as much as 800 yards apart, but mostly they were much closer, and in some places very close. The soldiers hated wiring parties, as it was an extra way to get killed, and very dangerous. Handling the wire in the dark was not easy and it would rip the flesh of your hands if you weren't careful.