WWI Dug Outs
During World War 1 the soldiers in the trenches would dig out "caves" in going inwards from the trench.
These were known as dug outs and, although small, would house quite a few men. Inside the dug outs there were very few home comforts but it was a place of respite with maybe a few bunks, a desk for writing home or for reading the orders for the next day.
If the men were able to get candles they used them to light the room at night. One of the most inventive ways to illuminate the space would be by glow worm. During the day one of the men would collect up to 10 European glow worms. When it got dark the glow worms were put in a glass container and immediately lit up the whole room. Their light was enough for the men to read letters from home, and to write to their families. The officers had enough light to read the orders for the next day and study maps.
It's amazing that one tiny little worm could be so useful.
This is a mock up in the museum of what a dug out would look like.
These were known as dug outs and, although small, would house quite a few men. Inside the dug outs there were very few home comforts but it was a place of respite with maybe a few bunks, a desk for writing home or for reading the orders for the next day.
If the men were able to get candles they used them to light the room at night. One of the most inventive ways to illuminate the space would be by glow worm. During the day one of the men would collect up to 10 European glow worms. When it got dark the glow worms were put in a glass container and immediately lit up the whole room. Their light was enough for the men to read letters from home, and to write to their families. The officers had enough light to read the orders for the next day and study maps.
It's amazing that one tiny little worm could be so useful.
This is a mock up in the museum of what a dug out would look like.
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| Inside a WWI dug out. |
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