under a white flag signifying a truce to barter cigarettes rations and other valued items with the enemy Newspapers once finished were flung across no man's land It was common at these times for opposing sides to trade banter and taunts Occasionally patriotic songs could be heard from the enemy's trench But the veneer of civilization was thin in wartime especially under the conditions of trench warfare Cold weather boredom and the constant threat of horrible injury or sudden death forced soldiers to leave behind the common courtesies of politeness and respect Men on both sides were hungry and often sick Ernst Jünger a German officer recalled BRITISH RATIONS Over the long course of World War I the biscuits and bread When the flour ran short British army had to feed more than 2 million the bread was made from turnips Another men serving on the front lines in Belgium and common dish was maconochie a thin stew France Officially the rations were supposed of vegetables cooked in a beef broth Bacon to provide British soldiers with 4 000 calories cheese and jam were provided occasionally a day but the food was often so poor the and British soldiers also held to the tradition men could barely eat it As the war dragged of daily tea Along with the cold and damp on the rations for the frontline soldiers grew conditions and the danger from enemy smaller by 1916 only six ounces of bully snipers the poor food and unhealthy water beef were provided a day English soldiers were among the worst aspects of a soldier's changed the French word bouilli or boiled ife in the trenches to bully to describe this canned meat Along with the beef a soldier in the trenches could expect a daily ration of hard
Rations too were very poor Beyond the thin midday soup there was nothing but the third of a loaf and something infinitesimal to eat with it usually half mouldy jam Most of mine was always eaten by a fat rat for which I often lay in wait but in vain This sparse living which left us always half fed brought about a most unpleasant state of affairs The men often suffered literally from hunger and this led to pilfering of rations When it comes to food the good manners that in Europe are mostly whitewash are soon scratched off Privations and danger tear away all that has been acquired and then good form survives only in those in whom it is born In some sectors soldiers on both sides kept hostilities to a minimum Around the massive fortifications of Belfort France for example the French had manned their lines with older army veterans These men understood early in the war that the two sides had reached a stalemate They had little enthusiasm for combat across no man's land On the other side German troops kept quietly to their trenches as well Their officers knew even if they could mount an effective assault their advance would eventually be halted and thrown back by Belfort s heavy guns As the war continued volunteers completed their training and arrived at the front Many of the veterans who fought at the start of the war were killed 10
rotated of the out front lines or released from duty for serious injuries New recruits came with determination for the fight and rushed into no man's land as their officers ordered massive assaults on enemy positions Officers on both sides of the war threatened courts martial for disobeying orders or for fraternization with the enemy ACTION AT PLOEGSTEERT WOOD Nevertheless the war was not a constant battle On many days only snipers were firing across no man's land Along the western front troops from the Allies and the Central powers raised white flags whenever they sought a temporary truce Cease fires occurred at mealtimes or when one side wanted to rescue their Troops on both sides used lulls in the fighting to retrieve wounded and dead
