The First World War instigated the development of modern trench warfare. Daily life for soldiers in the trenches was monotonous, with endless trench and weapon maintenance interrupted only by the dangers of enemy shelling and gas attack. Conditions were poor; a lack of basic sanitation and wet weather led to disease and ailments such as trench foot, caused by prolonged exposure to damp and cold.

Princess Mary, the eldest daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, organised small individual Christmas gift boxes and the Belgian King and Queen sent fabric 'housewives' to their front lines as gestures of gratitude to those serving. The introduction of tanks to the battlefield in 1917 marked the beginning of the end of trench warfare.