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Here we see a pre-fabricated trench shelter being used by Australian troops at Fleurbaix in June 1916. The wooden structure was pre-fabricated and the sandbag structure was build around it for protection. This sort of structure most common in areas where it wasn't possible to dig deep trenches and instead fortifications had to be build above ground level. Fleurbaix was opposite Fromelles, and it is probably that these Australians took part in the upcoming battle of Fromelles (19-20 July 1916), a failed attempt to stop the Germans moving troops south to the Somme front.
Many thanks to Osprey for allowing us to use this picture, which comes from:
Trench, Stephen Bull. Looks at the evolution of the defensive lines on the Western Front of the First World War, from the thin lines of 1914 to the elaborate defensive networks of the late war period and the weapons used to try and break the deadlock. Supported by some fascinating wartime illustrations from military manuals, along with contemporary trench maps. [read full review]
