"How did so many soldiers survive the trenches?" Topic

"Millions of soldiers died on the Western Front in World War One. The horrific stories and images from the frontline all reinforce the idea that fighting in the trenches was one long bloodbath. But statistics tell a different story. There were certainly days of great violence during four years of war – such as the first day of the Battle of the Somme. But nearly 9 out of every 10 soldiers in the British Army, who went into the trenches, survived.

The horrific death toll paints a picture of trench fighting as a four year long bloodbath. But the facts and figures tell a very different story. There were terrible days of grim violence when thousands of lives were lost, and half of all British soldiers on the Western Front sustained some kind of injury. But nearly 9 out of 10 British ‘Tommies' survived the trenches.

How was this possible, considering that over 5 million British soldiers served on the Western Front? And when they weren't involved in an attack, what was everyday life like for the troops?…"
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Amicalement
Armand

You do realize that a bunch of soldiers are behind the lines as well as in HQ and get rotated in. 1/10 deaths is horrific, the stat does not include the wounded and shell shocked. Don't understand the surprise.9/10 survived the trenches. True same as in Canada but the wounded is higher as well as the shocked survivors. Why the post or the surprise? I figured out those stats in Elementary.

The article says "88% of Britain's soldiers came home." The number of troops in support units always far exceeds those in infantry battalions where the bulk of the casualties occur. Stats derived solely from the latter would tell a much different story.

Article states that '88 percent of the Tommies who went into the trenches came back out.'

Had seen this breakdown of the time on the line and in reserve on a Canadian site where the author had gone through letters sent from France by a soldier to one of the author's relatives.

As noted in the opening paragraph a far different picture than is usually presented.

Frankly the accounts of some of the actions in WWII that I have seen had soldiers in action for weeks without relief in conditions that were as bad as anything in the trenches.

How did soldiers survive in the Trenches? They developed very quick reflexes to duck and to put on their gas masks.

The ones who didn't develop those reflexes died.

"There were terrible days of grim violence when thousands of lives were lost, and half of all British soldiers on the Western Front sustained some kind of injury."

That's a 50% casualty rate! and at least 90% of that will be in the teeth arms! That's horrendous! if you count the dead that's somewhere in the 6 in 10 chance of being wounded/injured/killed if you were in the Infantry. I think that the author should check his statistics and don't forget that isn't speaking about PTSD or the like.
When they weren't in an attack? In the trench would of been an endless routine of stag on, patrols and trench maintenance interspersed with the odd raid, sniping and barrage fear of mines etc..then the the slog back through the communication trenches for relief and working parties. Yea a bet it was a doddle.

The idea of survival means different things to different researchers.
Longevity would be key. As pointed out traditionally there are 4 soldiers per front line soldier. I do not know what the WW1 numbers would be.
Survival is relevant. I am not sure any French or British soldiers survived from 1914 through 1918 in the West Front trenches.