Military WWII Type
Practice Trench (WWII)
A practice trench or training trench is a trench that has been dug for military training exercises.
Practice Trench (WWII) - digital surface model
Practice Trench (WWII) - digital terrain model
Extensive training trenches would have been dug throughout Britain to prepare troops before they were sent to the front lines. Since the majority of soldiers were fresh volunteers, this would have served to build strength and stamina in advance of deployment. There was less emphasis on trench warfare during the Second World War but trenches were still valuable for training exercises.
Woodland is often a common location of many of these systems, being regularly used for military training and less affected by agriculture and ploughing. These training trenches are largely unrecorded and are usually found through archaeological survey.
What to look for:
- Geometric forms
- Very regular width and depth
- Some form enclosures composed of zig-zagged lines
- Although they can be single, they are often grouped and part of a trench system
