What was the Firestep used for in WW1 trenches?

The purpose of the fire-step, which ran along the entire trench, was to enable each occupant of the trench to peer over the side of the trench through the parapet into No Man’s Land in the direction of the enemy trench line.

Where is Firestep found?

What is Firestep? Noun. fire step (plural fire steps) (military, chiefly historical) A step or platform dug into the front side of a military trench so that soldiers could stand on it and fire over the parapet.

What was the frontline trench?

Frontline trenches were usually about seven feet deep and six feet wide. The front of the trench was known as the parapet. The front-line trenches were also protected by barbed-wire entanglements and machine-gun posts. Short trenches called saps were dug from the front-trench into No-Man’s Land.

What was a parapet used for in WW1?

the inner wall of a trench, made of earth and wood and topped with sandbags, to protect soldiers.

What killed thousands of soldiers in trenches?

With the development of trench warfare, increasingly large artillery was developed to fire high explosive shells and smash enemy trenches, like this battery of 9.2 inch howitzers. The majority of casualties on the Western Front were caused by artillery shells, explosions and shrapnel.

Was life in the trenches really that bad?

Trench life involved long periods of boredom mixed with brief periods of terror. The threat of death kept soldiers constantly on edge, while poor living conditions and a lack of sleep wore away at their health and stamina.

What were duckboards used for ww1?

‘Duckboards’ (or ‘trench gratings’) were first used at Ploegsteert Wood, Ypres in December 1914. They were used throughout the First World War being usually placed at the bottom of the trenches to cover the sump-pits, the drainage holes which were made at intervals along one side of the trench.

What did no man’s land look like?

No Man’s Land, said poet Wilfred Owen, was “like the face of the moon, chaotic, crater-ridden, uninhabitable, awful, the abode of madness.”