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Winter 1915, flooded British trench by Matania, WW1
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Winter 1915, flooded British trench by Matania, WW1
A British trench on the Western Front during the winter of 1915 drawn by The Sphere special artist, Fortunino Matania and demonstrating the sort of flooded, soggy trenches in icy conditions that could lead to the painful condition known as trench foot. Date: 1916
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Media ID 14166488
© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans
Bags Cold Conditions Damp Flooded Foot Fortunino Mans Matania Periscope Sand Sandbags Soggy Trench Trenches
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This evocative image, created by renowned British war artist Fortunino Matania for The Sphere magazine in 1916, captures the harsh realities of life in the flooded trenches of the Western Front during the winter of 1915. The icy conditions depicted in this drawing were a common occurrence during the First World War, and the soggy, wet trenches were a major cause of the painful condition known as trench foot. Soldiers huddled in the muddy, waterlogged trenches, their faces etched with exhaustion and the harsh realities of war. Sandbags, piled high, provided some measure of protection against enemy fire and the elements. In the foreground, a pair of British soldiers can be seen, one peering through a periscope, scanning the no-man's land for any signs of enemy movement. The other soldier, his feet submerged in the icy water, clutches a sandbag to keep warm and ward off the cold. The landscape is barren and desolate, with only the occasional patch of snow breaking up the monotony of the mud and water. The soldiers' uniforms are heavy and damp, their boots sodden and caked with mud. The harsh conditions of the trenches took a heavy toll on the physical and mental health of the soldiers, making even the simplest of tasks a challenge. This powerful image serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by the soldiers on the Western Front during the First World War, and the unrelenting hardships they faced in the face of adversity. The icy, flooded trenches of winter 1915 were just one of the many challenges they had to overcome, and the courage and resilience they displayed in the face of such adversity continues to inspire us today.
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