The trenches were dug so that the soldiers could be protected from the terrible machine gun fire. The problem with being in a trench was that the soldiers could not look over the top without being shot at.
The ANZACs came up with some clever ideas.
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(Above) To help them see and shoot over the top of the trenches, the ANZACs made periscopes out of timber and mirrors. (AWM G00408)
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(Above) Perhaps one of the most clever ideas was to make what looked like a bomb damaged tree out of some old tin and corrugated iron. The ANZACs then climbed up inside the ‘tree’ and looked at what the enemy was doing. (AWM E03861)