News from the Trenches

Daily Mirror photographers were in the trenches alongside our soldiers, and we have dug deep into the archives to unearth an incredible selection of rare and unseen images. The first-hand experiences of those who fought in the conflict are told, starting with the story of a teenager who signed up as the country was gripped by patriotic fever, and we follow the men into the trenches where they describe the terror they felt before going 'over the top'. Also featured are some of the shell-shocked men who were shot at dawn for their 'cowardice', the women on the home front and some of the conflict's heroes, including a Boer War veteran who was awarded a second Victoria Cross after returning to the battlefield. We also look at how the conflict was reported through the front pages of the Daily Mirror, revisiting the famous Christmas Truce and the story of a British nurse who was executed by the Germans, while eye-catching infographics give a detailed breakdown of various aspects of the war. While there would hardly have been a family left untouched by the war, Amy Beechey's suffered more than most, with the widow losing five children in the conflict. We tell her harrowing story, while the diary extracts of a tunnel digger and a battlefield nurse are also featured, together with letters soldiers sent home from the front line and the story of a British prisoner of war who was allowed to go home to see his dying mother on the condition he returned - and who kept his word.