"Trooper" Looks Back Entrenched For Winter On The Western Front

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 286, 3 December 1938, Page 11 (Supplement)

"Trooper" Looks Back Entrenched For Winter On The Western Front

AT the end of November, 1914, we see the long line—over 500 miles of it—from the Swiss frontier to Nieuport, firmly established. What a line! It is difficult, at this time of writing, to recapture an idea of the enormous numbers of men required for such m stupendous task. We must also remember that this was but one arena, albeit the main one, which Germany had to man. We can scarcely conceive the resources of pre-war Germany in such a monumental undertaking; arrayed against her was the might of Britain, France and Belgium, so far as land forces were concerned, yet we filled a position of stalemate! Trench life This line from the sea to the Vosges had become one vast armed camp, each aide settling down in the earth opposite the other at distances of from half a mile to a few yards. Germany had turned to her advantage in the art of trench making her obvious study of this mode of warfare. France wns far behind in this matter, her first attempt beinjf no more than shallow hollows in which each soldier lay protected by a mound of the earth from the hollow in front of him. The British idea was superior to that of France, but inferior to that of the Boche. However, in both the latter ideas soon caught up on that of Germany, and the resultant trenches became somewhat comfortable —-if one can associate such a word, now or ever, with a front line trench in actual warfare—and protective; while no little skill was used in efforts at concealment of their actual position. Nptwithstanding all that theory might luggsst in improving these lines of trenches, troops suffered discomforts and hardships quite apart from the danger* incidental t«s warfare. Heavy' raim, frost, dnow and lack of sanitation made these places anything but "a very desirable residence." ft is well, indeed, that tlie innate rheerfulness of the British soldier should be so and come to his aid. particularly under circumstances of the less comfortable sort. Let those who will revile "the brutal snd licentious soldier" for his profanity, | or apparent disregard for those things they bold up to him as desirable, yet J

It is these very trait* in him that made it at all possible for him to retain his sanity—and courage. Too easily it been forgotten just what had to be endured by soldiers in the Great War. That they surrounded and covered themselves with this veneer was no more than necessary. We find rue use of the periscope introduced into this trench warfare. Hitherto, this instrument had been confined, so far as fighting force# were concerned, to the naval submarine. In the trenches it was a lees elaborate affair, none the less useful, in the shape of a box somei thirty inches in length and some fouj* inches square. Its use enabled safer observation of the fellow in the trcnch opposite, though it proved an attractive target to him for a "pot shot." When such sbots found tlieir mark, as'tlley sometime* did. there was (he danger of grave injury to the observer through getting the splintered glass in his eyes. From this November, 1914, we find millions of men settling down to such a life.