1. SOLDIERS IN WORLD WAR ONE TO DISCOVER WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE FOR A SOLDIER IN WORLD WAR ONE

2. WHAT WAS A SOLDIER LIKE? Most soldiers were normal men and boys brought from the streets of Britain to fight for their country. They had little to no experience of fighting and were recruited to join the war. They would have had only weeks of training and would be expected to “learn on the job.”

3. A helmet to protect their heads. A bayonet for hand to hand combat. A gun to shoot at the enemy. British army uniform Boots to keep their feet dry and warm. Cloth wrapped around their legs to keep them warm.

4. WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE FOR A SOLDIER? Life was brutal as a soldier in the war. They lived in horrible conditions in wet, smelly, terrible trenches and were there for months, or even years. They however had quite a lot of free time. Fighting was irregular and soldiers were not on patrol very often. They would have to find ways to entertain themselves.

5. FREE TIME? During their free time, the soldiers had many choices of activities, including: Cards Chess Writing diaries Writing letters Cooking Playing football – an iconic story is Christmas day of 1914 when both sides stopped fighting and played football on no man’s land.

7. YOUR TASK! I want you to write a letter home as if you were an 18 year old soldier who had left home for the first time. You are telling your mum what life is like. You must include information on:  What your food is like.  What you do in the spare time.  What life is like for you at war.  How you are feeling.