A World War One trench experience

Breakfast with Mr Chan.

SeYe Chan of Northern Southland College shares how the year 12 Humanities Class completed an awesome field exercise where they lived the life of a NZ soldier during the Somme Offensive of 1916.

The ‘30 Hour Experience’ involved marching with kit, digging a trench with sandbags, eating authentic rations and repelling a German attack!

On Sunday 21st June, 1916 (2009), the trains (van) left the idyllic French town of Amiens, North Western France (Northern Southland College) bound for its final stop at Albert (Cowards Farm, Garston).

From there, the soldiers of the NZ Division, in particular, men of the third platoon, second Otago Company, third NZ Infantry Brigade began the long march (3kms) in full kit to their front line positions in the Thiepval sector of the Somme Salient.

To keep their spirits up along the march, the men sung songs to remind them of home and who they were. One such song went like this (to the tune of “It’s a long way to Tipperary”:

“It’s a long way to the fields of Flanders,
It’s a long way to go.
It’s a long way to the fields of Flanders
Where the hun is being blown to hell.

Goodbye… Southland… and Otago too,
It’s a long, long way to the fields of Flanders,
But our lads are here!”

The men knew that something big was about to happen as there was a lot of traffic heading to the ‘Front-lines’, but what exactly, was unknown.

On arrival, the men began digging to reinforce the damaged and collapsed trenches caused by the continuous shelling and the miserable autumn and winter rains.

After a good session of digging (two hours) the men were given their first meal of (let’s just say the food provided for all meals was as authentic as possible in terms of quality and quantity) Then back to the back-breaking digging and sand bag filling.

A slight reprieve when the mail arrived from home with whiffs of perfume and tea bags, sugar, home baked cookies and the letters, some bearing news of loved ones at home, one of a younger brother enlisting, and one heartbreak as a ‘new’ man had been found at home!

After the final session of digging and putting out the barbed wire, the men were given their evening meal (authentic once again!)

The bitterly cold evening arrived as the men took turns on sentry duty, wire patrol, and generally just trying to keep warm. At about 8.33 p.m. the sentry reported movement beyond the wire and a patrol was sent out to investigate.

Shots were heard (water bombs) as the patrol rushed back into the safety of the 1.8m high trench. A German raiding party (Mr Duncan, Ms Blakemore and associates) had nearly infiltrated the wire defence and began firing at the trench line.

The trench system held firm as did the men who behind the cover of the parapet began unleashing their own fury of Lee Enfield Rifle and Browning Machine-gun fire.

The German raid was pelted back and no casualties were sustained by the Otago’s, whereas the Germans suffered 60 per cent casualties and one captured (Blakemore) who managed to get over the parapet only to fall into the deep trench and be pelted by the defenders.

The rest of the night was spent trying to keep warm with hot drinks and yarns by the small fire.

A huge well done to the students who survived the 30 hour trench experience and a big thank you to Amy and Jim for allowing us to dig at their farm.

• On the 1st July, 1916, the British including the NZ Division would begin the Somme Offensive. In the first 12 hours of the attack, 58,000 would become casualties! 620,000 over the course of the four month battle! NZ suffered greatly as a small but proud nation. Of the seven students that marched and dug, three would be wounded and three would be killed over the four months!