Letters From World War One Trenches

Letters from WWI Trenches Soldiers wrote letters to their families back in Britain during World War I. Many chose not to share how terrible life was in the trenches because of a law passed in 1914 that let officers read and check their letters first.

Harold Chapin wrote a letter on May 23, 1915, talking about how busy he was helping wounded soldiers after a big attack. He had barely slept, and at one point, he and others had to carry injured soldiers through thick mud, which was exhausting and made them all hate the mud even more.

In the 1930s, Guy Chapman shared his memories of the war, looking at an old list of soldiers he knew. He remembered faces of those who had died or disappeared and how he used to check their letters, missing out on their personal stories and hopes.

Arthur Savage remembered the fear and horror of the war. He saw soldiers upset about getting trench foot, which could lead to losing a leg. He also talked about the itchiness from lice, the big rats, and the never-ending mud. Seeing dead bodies became normal, and sometimes a friend would die right next to you.

Philip Gibbs, a journalist, wrote about how terrible it was to see soldiers with shell-shock. At first, some generals thought it was just cowardice because they hadn't seen how bad it was. But Gibbs saw strong men completely shaken and unable to control themselves because of the trauma they experienced.