Battle of the Somme, 1918. This stark image shows the terrible conditions soldiers in the trenches lived and worked in. The trenches were the front line in the The Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme Offensive, which became one of the largest battles of the First World War. Because the ground in the area is chalky and easily dug, the trench sides were known to crumble easily after rain, and so were built up with wood, sandbags or any other suitable material