Western Front - 1915: A rare photograph taken by my great-great-grandfather showing the inside of a German dugout
Some of you may already know the story of my great-great-grandfather, Lt. Alexander Pfeifer, a German company commander during the First World War who left behind an exceptionally detailed war diary and hundreds of original photographs. Together, they were later published as The Other Trench (Der andere Graben). Of all the photographs he left behind, this is one that has always felt especially personal to me.
On the back of the photo he wrote: ‘The company commander shelter in the 2nd Position – In the middle is First-Lieutenant Prince Solms; to the left, Lieutenant König (Artillery); and to the right, Lieutenant Bode. 2 beds will be coming on top of each other on the left, and to the right the oven, bed of the orderly and so on. Everything is covered with curtains, and it is all 4 times larger than this small cut-out visible through the door’.
When this photo was taken, Alexander already had numerous battles and war experiences behind him. After some time on leave, he returned to the trenches and was fascinated by how much they’d improved in short time. In his diary this is what he says about them:
“Anyone who hasn’t seen them or helped build them has no idea of the work that goes into these trenches, which are over two metres deep. The walls are covered from top to bottom with thick planks and wicker and braced with beams to prevent them from caving in. The ground is covered with duckboards. And yet, this entire huge work has been accomplished only in the dead of night, under the most unfavourable weather conditions and under enemy fire. I could retire if I had the money for all the wood that has been used... I am living in a shelter that I remember from before, which is heavily reinforced with a dozen sturdy tree trunks. The oven heats well, I have a petroleum lamp, and the food is good too. That it drips through the ceiling in various places with monotonous regularity; that rats and mice rustle and squeak behind the ceiling and wall coverings; that the boys next door play the harmonica with more enthusiasm than skill — These are little things from before that I have long since gotten used to.”