Trench names

[Ted Marchant]

Can anyone clarify how the BEF made the distinction when naming communication trenches and front-line trenches, assembly trenches etc. I am aware there was a difference but would welcome the Forum's excellent advice. Thank you . Ted

[Howard]

It depends on where and when the trenches were named.

Have a look at Rats Alley: Trench Names of the Western Front 1914-1918 by Peter Chasseaud.

Early trench systems were rather ad-hoc, later they had themes like food, weather or national related names.

You can tell it is not a simple answer or there would not be a whole book on it!

Howard

[Ted Marchant]

Thank you 

[AOK4]

As far as I know (but I'm not an expert) there was a difference. Weren't Drives, Lanes and Avenues usually communication trenches? Trenches were fighting trenches and then there were Switches and Reserves (reserve trenches).

From 1917 (?) onwards, often the first letter of the given name to any feature was the same as the square letter.

Jan

[Ted Marchant]

Thank you 

[WhiteStarLine]

Hi Ted,

Are you looking for information about the semantic name given to the trench system (like Oyster or Uhlan) as Howard has answered, or are you wanting the difference between a trench, reserve trench, support trench, communications trench etc as Jan has answered?

In the example below (click to enlarge), Oyster Trench is in square O and Uhlan Trench in square U.  If you are interested in the choice of Oyster or Uhlan, Howard's response is the one.  If you are interested in the type of trenches, you can see Oyster Trench at the left of the map extract.  Oyster Row runs back into Oyster Support and Oyster Avenue is a long trench that connects with Oyster Reserve.  As a sweeping generalisation, the trench itself, support and reserve will be in parallel and the communications trench will be perpendicular. 

[Ted Marchant]

Thank you this is an amazing bit of information