The Liverpool Scottish - Trench Life
Through the Great War
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the Liverpool Scottish Regimental Museum
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Exhibition
Entrance
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In the Salient
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Spring 1915
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Trench periscopes
Armoured Loopholes
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- Action in the Trenches Go
with the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Davidson, to fire a
rifle grenade at the enemy.
Look at the photographic evidence of trench life. Use the hotspots to
search the photo.
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Christmas
1914 - The Regimental History - Colonel McGilchrist
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"..
Ladies' Committee ... worked indefatigably at the knitting and
collecting of socks, cap comforters and cardigans
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Mr John
Rankin gave £60 a month to provide extra rations for the men .... he
combed England from one end to the other to provided the number [of Primus
stoves]
required"
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"...
a particular drug he [Lt NG Chavasse, the battalion's
MO] required ...
was ordered by cable from the United States and reached him [Chavasse]
in a fortnight"
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- cardigan = a
knitted woollen jacket normally buttoning at the front (as opposed to a
'pullover' which is pulled over the head. Its invention is attributed to
Lord Cardigan, commander of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War of
1854/55. By January 1915, soldiers were receiving goatskin jackets which
were a great improvement but still left men cold and wet.
- Primus stoves = This
recognises the The need for being able to heat food in the trenches
where it was often not possible to bring up rations during the day and
only with the greatest difficulty at night. Braziers came into common
use during January in the front line
- 'self-help' efforts (1)
= The
Quartermaster's staff claimed to have been the first to divide rations
into packs for so many men (in sandbags) to be distributed quickly at
night at the forward dump
- 'self-help' efforts (2)
= Somebody
'found' a sausage-making machine, presumably when it fell off the
back of a passing lorry. This was reportedly a 'first' for any battalion
in the BEF
- 'self-help' efforts (3)
= Company
Quartermaster Sergeant RA Scott McFie of Y Company published his own
cook book 'Things That Every Good Cook Should Know'. In civilian life he
was a fine scholar and a member of a prominent business family. The
Museum holds some of his meticulously kept note books.
- Lt NG Chavasse, the
battalion's MO
= Lt (later Captain) Noel Chavasse, later
to win two Victoria Crosses, was the battalion's medical officer (MO)
from going overseas in 1914 until his death in August 1917.He
made great efforts to maintain the health and morale of men in the line
through a wide range of methods
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- Christmas 1914 and Support from
Home Christmas was spent
out of the line when 'the mails were colossal' (250 sacks amongst less
than 1000 men), a gift from Lord Derby of 'plum puddings for the men ...
and a full Christmas dinner for the officers'. It is clear that the
support from home for the Liverpool Scottish in Belgium was very
significant. There were many supporters back in Liverpool and the Wirral
to provide that which the Army could not or would not make available.
- Self Help and Home Comforts
Regimental history makes very clear that the 'self-help' efforts of the
battalion through the legitimate (and sometimes less-than-legitimate i.e.
'dodgy') initiative of individuals in key positions together with direct
support from home (gifts and money) contributed enormously to the
welfare (i.e comfort) and survival of the Liverpool Scottish through
what was a very hard winter. The battalion's cooking arrangements are
seen to the right with mobile cookers in position. When the
battalion was in the line, food would often be cooked in a rear area and
then carried forward through the trench system to arrive cold in the front
line.
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Sgt DAB Marples = later
Regimental Sergeant Major and awarded the Military Cross as a Company
Sergeant Major
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"sand bags being
ripped away all day" = sand
bags (generally filled with earth) solidified the structure of the
trenches and (although much larger) could be laid like bricks within
headers and stretchers to give a bonded strength. In this case the enemy
fire seems to be aiming to break down the strength of the sandbags and
leave the occupants of the trench in greater danger.
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Poperinghe = A
small Belgian town just behind the front line area which was relatively
safe. It provided rest and recuperation facilities for tired Tommies at
a variety of restaurants, cafes, estaminets and also, for much of the
war, at the famous Talbot House run by the Rev. Tubby Clayton.
However, the town of Ypres/Ieper remained in full swing through to
spring 1915 although actually under fairly continual shellfire and about
two miles from the front line.
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"kilts stoved free
from lice" = Lice developed
very quickly in the trenches and were a great source of discomfort to
soldiers.
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- Diary of Sgt DAB Marples
- Feb 26th 1915 "A
glorious sunny day after a hard froty night. Teague, another of my
cheeriest boys in the platoon was shot in the head at noon whilst right
beside me. A wretched day for my platoon, being
peppered with enemy rifle fire from 20 yards away; sand
bags being ripped away all day"
- Mar 5th 1915 "A
fine day. Had a two hour march and parade in the forenoon and got leave
with Sgt. Finnie to go to Poperinghe
in the afternoon. Had a pleasant afternoon and a good English meal of
steak and chips"
- Mar 9th 1915 "A
fine day but very cold. Severe frost last night. Had a glorious bath and
issue of clean underclothing and kilts
stoved free from lice"
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- Sickness The
Liverpool Scottish entered the front line at the end of November
1914, with 855 soldiers. By the end of January 1915 following terrible
winter weather the total strength had fallen to 370. Almost all of the
decrease was caused by men falling sick; in that period there were only
about 30 killed or wounded. When the first draft of reinforcements
arrived from England, they virtually doubled the active strength of the
battalion.
- Trench Routine The
normal routine was three days in the trenches, xxxx days in the reserve
trenches and xxx days out of line (but this often involved moving up to
the line at night to form working parties for wiring or carrying parties
for stores)
- Photo
Frame Feature - Wrapped Up Well against the Cold
Visit Captain AS
Anderson in the front line. Look at the evidence of trench life in a
photo he wasn't expecting. Click on the photo and then search for
hotspots.
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