Most of the raids took place at night when soldiers could sneak across the 'No Mans Land' in the dark.

The British said it took 450 men 6 hours to build about 250 meters of a trench system.

The trenches needed constant repair or they would erode from the weather and from enemy bombs.

It is estimated that if all the trenches built along the western front were laid end-to-end they would total over 25,000 miles long.

Soldiers often lost fingers or toes to frostbite and some died from exposure in the cold. Also, the constant moisture could cause an infection called Trench Foot that, if untreated, could become so bad that a soldier's feet would have to be amputated. Mud could clog up weapons and make it hard to move in battle.

Rain caused the trenches to flood and get muddy. The weather also contributed to rough conditions in the trenches. They made the soldiers' itch horribly and caused a disease called Trench Fever. The rats were everywhere and got into the soldiers' food and ate just about everything, including sleeping soldiers. There were all sorts of pests living in the trenches including rats, lice, and frogs. The trenches were not nice, clean places.

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