This video below shows a slideshow of photographs taken during the battle of Paschendaele. These photographs show the damaged caused by not only the war fare but heavy, continuous rain. Passchendaele became a pile of mud and some soldiers even ruled the mud to be more of an enemy than their actual enemies. Walking over the soft mud was a tough job for soldiers, so carrying stretchers (with wounded soldiers laid upon) and pulling heavy artillery through the soft mud would have been hell on earth.
Mud puddles filled the fields of Passchendaele and ypres, it was merely impossible for the soldiers of Passchendaele
It was common for trenches to be flooded knee-high with water due to the rain that would come days at a time. Although soldiers were supplied with pumps that would drain the flooded trenches, soldiers were common victims of Trench Foot. Trench foot is an infection that affects the foot/feet. It is brought on by the constant exposure of your foot to water or wet conditions. This disease is enhanced by fungus and other dirty bacteria. This infection was common throughout World War I, especially throughout the battle of Passchendaele because of the heavy and constant rain that bombarded majority of Passchendaele's land.
The Mud was unforgiving and claimed many wounded and dead soldiers who were left unattended for prolonged periods. These soldiers eventually sunk into the mud, Passchendaele became a grave yard to thousands and thousands of unknown soldiers who fought on both Germany and Britain's side.
The Mud was unforgiving and claimed many wounded and dead soldiers who were left unattended for prolonged periods. These soldiers eventually sunk into the mud, Passchendaele became a grave yard to thousands and thousands of unknown soldiers who fought on both Germany and Britain's side.
"The rats dined well at Passchendaele, |
"The troops did not dine well at Passchendaele |
"In stanza one and four of John C Birds poem 'Diners' he briefly states how the "rats dined well" whereas the "troops did not dine well" at Passchendaele. The rats are said to have fed on human corpse, a nice meaty meal for the trench rats who scavenged for food throughout the occupied trenches. Trenches were infested with rats that would feed off the bodies of the deceased whom lay dead in the trenches, the bodies would be chewed up and left in the trenches for days causing a foul smell to spread throughout the trench. To people at home a smell that terrible was unheard of but for the men who served at Passchendaele lived that unimaginable reality.
Soldiers that fought through Passchendaele were sadly malnourished. The food supply for soldiers were very limited partly because of the heavy rain which made supplying the men with food a hard task. Soldiers at the front line were practically starved the whole time they were defending their division. "When we were in the front line we used to get a piece of bread and that was our food for the 24 hours while we were there" - Stanley Herbert.
Soldiers that fought through Passchendaele were sadly malnourished. The food supply for soldiers were very limited partly because of the heavy rain which made supplying the men with food a hard task. Soldiers at the front line were practically starved the whole time they were defending their division. "When we were in the front line we used to get a piece of bread and that was our food for the 24 hours while we were there" - Stanley Herbert.
Soldiers often took ration packs from the deceased soldiers that surrounded them. This is how men survived on the front line, although it wasn't their first option (taking from their deceased colleagues) but they did it to nourish themselves so that they had sufficient energy to carry on fighting.
Soldiers faced other issues due to the conditions they were living in. Men had body lice, no clean water (no showers), no sanitary toilets (holes were dug for men to take craps in), foul smells of dead bodies as well as soldiers faeces as well dangerous fumes from toxic gases. Soldiers had to deal with all these sanitary issues well fighting off their enemies as well as staying above the soft mud. This was definitely the worse battle of that occurred during the course of the Great War.
Soldiers faced other issues due to the conditions they were living in. Men had body lice, no clean water (no showers), no sanitary toilets (holes were dug for men to take craps in), foul smells of dead bodies as well as soldiers faeces as well dangerous fumes from toxic gases. Soldiers had to deal with all these sanitary issues well fighting off their enemies as well as staying above the soft mud. This was definitely the worse battle of that occurred during the course of the Great War.