Trench sanitation

[Horace Bachelor]

How primitive were the latrines in the trenches and were there lots of them, bearing in mind that lack of basic hygene must have resulted in diarrhoea being rife?

Sorry to bring this up at lunchtime.

Regards

Rich

[bkristof]

In first lines a bucket was the latrine...

[bkristof]

A belgian WW1 latrine.

[Chris Henschke]

From Diagrams of Field Defences. March, 1918.

[Chris Henschke]

This is a photograph from the 'Medical Services - Hygiene of the War' Official History.

I believe the photograph was taken at the School of Sanitation, in Leeds.

[Paul Reed]

Latrines were increasingly sophisticated as the war went on; poor sanitation led to widespread disease, so the senior Medical Officers of the British Army spent much time devising schemes so that human waste could be coped with to avoid this. There were Sanitary Sections in every infantry battalion, who were responsible for this.

As the above diagram shows, in most cases there were latrine trenches in the front line positions. These were normally sited in blind spots, away from direct observation from the enemy. Covers for toilets were also found necessary; I remember reading somewhere that open toilets led to swarms of flies, which dispersed whenever men entered the latrine. The Germans watched this and shelled it with TMs every time the flies moved about!

[Chris Henschke]

In the trenches deep pit latrines were placed in T or L-shaped saps. The pit was dug as deep as possible, generally about 4 or 5 ft., and covered by a single seat with self-closing cover.

When filled to within about 1 ft. of the surface a fresh pit was dug on the side next to the trenches, the old pit filled and the sap made good over the top in order to cut off the foul ground from the trench area.

The digging of pit latrines in front line trenches was apt to be interpreted by the enemy as an offensive measure, such as the construction of machine gun emplacements, and trench mortars were consequently brought to bear on the men constructing the latrine. Frequently men were sniped whilst in the latrines, generally when entering or leaving. The latrine saps had consequently to be constructed of a sufficient depth to preclude that risk.

Various modifications of deep pit latrines were designed. Deep pit latrines were constructed covered by a strong wooden platform with trap-door openings and self-closing lids, which rested against the back of the user.

[Horace Bachelor]

Thanks everybody, most helpful.

Kristof, I don't think I would have been very happy using that thunderbox in your picture. It looked a tad exposed.

Were there typhoid epidemics in the trenches as well as dysentery and are there any figures available for deaths from sickness? I guess this aspect would possibly have been played down at the time.

Cheers

Rich.

[Medic7922]

Thanks everyone, This subject bought back horrid memorys when at keogh barrecks doing my Army Medic Training in the early 70s.

On one hot summers day after doing PT we had to attend a lecture on Tropical illnesses at the Army School of Hygene, being bored to tears by a WO2 on the weres and what fulls of Schistosomiasis ( A tropical disease caused by blood flukes) as the lecturer was droning on most of us started to fall a sleep but we got caught as on of my platoon started to snore, so the WO2 made us go out in to the training ground to dig Latrines and build Thunderboxs in the middle of the afternoon in the baking hot sun hence we never fell asleep again during lectures.

[robbie]

Very interesting to view all different kinds of loos. However, if one ventures into the Australian bush and stumbles upon a campsite, one will commonly find similar toilet arrangements. I can well recall reclining on such a loo on numerous occasions whilst camping. The secret is it is better NOT to look down the hole before or after sitting.

Now that's 2 loo posts in the last 24 hours. Perhaps i AM obsessed with loos.

Robbie

[Annette Burgoyne]

Going too the bog in the trenches could be dangours, as snipers had them on their books. Captain Dugdale of the 6/K.S.L.I. was sat on one when a bullet wizzed past his ear. Not the most pleasant of places to start with but with the added danger of getting shot, who needs a laxative.

Annette

[robbie]

Going too the bog in the trenches could be dangours, as snipers had them on their books. Captain Dugdale of the 6/K.S.L.I. was sat on one when a bullet wizzed past his ear.  Not the most pleasant of places to start with but with the added danger of getting shot, who needs a laxative.

Annette

Indeed, Annette, nor prunes, nor licorice.

Robbie

[Chris Henschke]

Rich,

Typhoid in the trenches on the Western Front was not the great killer that it had been in previous campaigns. For example;

1) In the South African War, the British Army employed over 500,000 men, and there were almost 60,000 cases of enteric fever, with 8,227 deaths.

2) In the Franco-Prussian War the Germans despatched 1,146,000 men across the frontier; these showed 73,393 cases of enteric fever, with 6,965 deaths.

The total number of cases and deaths during the Great War, in six theatres of war, 'with an average mean ration strength of nearly two million troops, there were only 20,149 cases of typhoid and paratyphoid fever with 1,191 deaths, giving a total case mortality of 5.4 per cent.'

(East Africa has the greatest rate, because of the unhealthy climate and the necessity for operating at a great distance from a properly equipped base.)

In France, the incidence was relatively low. In 1915, the incidence was 4.0 per 1000, until in 1918 it was .12 per 1000.

you may notice that in paybooks (certainly, the AIF paybooks I have researched) that vaccinations for 'TAB 2' are entered. That is the entry for the vaccination against Mixed typhoid, Paratyphoid A, and Paratyphoid B, given as two doses.

best regards,

Chris

[Landsturm]

See here...

Gas Attacks of Different Kind

[robbie]

RIch,

I particularly liked the bare buttocks lined up in formation.

Robbie

[Tim Birch]

I think the sanitary arrangements of our Allies left a lot to be desired. I have read several reports of trenches previously occupied by the French to be found in a disgusting condition when taken over by the British, including having to squelch through human excrement in the bottom of the trench. No doubt French reports made similar accusations against the British!

I suspect that nerves caused a lot of men to get caught short. Was it actually a punishable offence to urinate or defecate in a trench?

Sanitation at Galipolli proved to be a nightmare problem.

[truthergw]

The original post asked how primitive the latrines were. It might be as well to remember that dry toilets were still in widespread use in poorer urban areas until after the war and in rural areas until after the 2nd World War. Many of the troops would not have found them primitive, merely very exposed

[Guest albrown]

aaaaargh the thunderbox..theyre still alive (literally) and can be found on Otterburn training area if you really want to see one.

[J T Gray]

The original post asked how primitive the latrines were. It might be as well to remember that dry toilets were still in widespread use in poorer urban areas until after the war and in rural areas until after the 2nd World War. Many of the troops would not have found them primitive, merely very exposed

The last parts of Norfolk to get their "bucket & chucket" facilities, with a regular collection of "night soil" by the "lavender men", replaced didn't actually get mains sanitation until 1989!

And of course the British Army, if the news reports last year were anything to go by, still use an 'ole in the ground when on active service...

Adrian

[Chris Henschke]

another contempory diagram of a gentlemens convenience

[robbie]

Biscuit boxes? In one end and out the other takes on a whole new meaning.

Robbie

PS Thanks for the scan, Chris.

[Max]

It has always intrigued me as to what the effects of a HE shell hitting the latrine area would have been like. If there was a fan around I am sure it would have hit it, and at a fair rate of knots. Phew.

Andy

[Chris Best]

the WO2 made us go out in to the training ground to dig Latrines and build Thunderboxs in the middle of the afternoon in the baking hot sun hence we never fell asleep again during lectures.

Oh happy days at the Army School of Health (1967). Sgt Jack A***** supervised us Hygiene Assistant Class III trainees on the model grounds. I was tasked to dig a soakage pit (a cubic yard). Sgt A came up to me and said:

"What are you doing, Best?

I said, 'I'm portraying life'

He said, 'But, man, it's empty'

So I threw the dirt back in."

Chris Best

[Chris Best]

This is a photograph from the 'Medical Services - Hygiene of the War' Official History.

I believe the photograph was taken at the School of Sanitation, in Leeds.

Lucky you, Chris, to have this book. The Med Svcs OH is outstanding as a source, but hard to get hold of. I'm looking for surgery and pathology. Any Pals out there with similar for sale?

Chris Best

[Chris Henschke]

Chris Best,

Yes, I know it is hard to get hold of. The full set was being 'weeded' from a well known medical research establishment, here in Australia. Luckily for me, it was saved and given to me. I'm sure many of us have mused over what has been discarded or destroyed over the years. Apart form purely medical information, it has a great deal of information regarding Field Rations, Gas, and the testing of 1908 and 1914 Infantry equipment.

Cheers,

Chris Henschke