# Trench Warfare



## Sydney (9 Nov 2000)

I am a highschool student doing a large project on Trench Warfafe. I am in need of information, I was wondering if anyone could tell me of any good books or websites for information on this topic. I also would like some excerpts from soldier‘s diaries who were actually in the trenches, to use as examples of the daily life of these brave men. I would appreciate replys a great deal. Thank you! And any of your own personal comments or knowledge on Trench Warfare would be much appreciated as well.


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## Michael Dorosh (9 Nov 2000)

If you read any book, read VIMY by Pierre Berton.

The best book is by Desmond Morton called "When Your Number is Up".  It is a social history of life in the trenches.

The Canadian War Museum website has an interactive story that lets you make decisions while reading a story about a soldier in World War One; there are multiple endings depending on the choices you make.

Gallant Canadians by Dan Dancocks is also good as is Welcome to Flanders Fields, also by him.


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## Sydney (10 Nov 2000)

Thank you so much for you help Michael, it will help me a great deal in the completion of my project.


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## bossi (10 Nov 2000)

Depending on where you live, there might be a military or regimental museum nearby - with any luck, there might be some information or paraphenalia pertaining to trench warfare (e.g. some soldiers would whittle or make things out of shell casings).

In Toronto, the 48th Highlanders of Canada regimental museum is located on King Street, just West of University Avenue in the basement of the Regimental Church (just East of Roy Thomson Hall)

You might get some extra marks for seeking out additional information from these other sources (i.e. showing that you put in some extra effort and went the extra mile, as opposed to simply snorkelling the Net or visiting the library).

I completely agree with the recommendation you should read VIMY, and in my personal library I‘ve got an excellent book in my own library specifically on trench warfare (but, I can‘t remember the exact title right now, even thought it‘s something like "Trench Warfare ..." - will have to look it out for you)

Good luck with your project, and we hope you get a good mark.

Dileas Gu Brath

M.A. Bossi, Esquire


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## bossi (10 Nov 2000)

(darn!   Don‘t you just hate it when you press "Enter", and then think of something else you wish you‘d said ... ?)

You may already have heard of this link, but just in case you haven‘t...
My younger brother introduced me to "Ask Jeeves" - a really useful, general purpose Internet search/reference site:  http://www.askjeeves.com/
(I did a search on "trench warfare", and a gazillion hits came up)

Also, it dawned on me you might be able to use a famous quote as part of your introduction (I routinely abuse and overuse quotes, and haven‘t flunked a history course yet ...), so here goes:

"My God, did we really send men to fight in that?"
(Lieutenant General Sir Launcelot Kiggell:  On seeing the terrain and the mud after the battle of Passchendaele, 1917)

"War sank in to the lowest depths of beastliness and degeneration ... For years the armies had to eat, drink, sleep amidst their own putrefactions.  Bit by bit the old campaigner‘s memories and young solder‘s dreams were engulfed in machinery and mud."
(Sir Ian Hamilton:  The Soul and Body of an Army, vii, 1921)


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## Andyboy (10 Nov 2000)

Deaths Men: Soldiers of the Great War by Denis Winter
The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916 by Alistair Horne

Although from non-Canadian perspectives both are excellent books with very good descriptions of daily life, weapons, living conditions etc. Should give your report a well rounded (British, German, French) description.


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## Bill Alexander (10 Nov 2000)

Sydney you are probably going to end up with too much info, but here is an excellent web site: http://www.westernfront.co.uk/


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## Sydney (10 Nov 2000)

Ah! Thank you all so much! The information you have given me has been more helpful then you know!!


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