How often did the soldiers take a shower in World War 1?

Answer 1

In World War 1 the soldiers in the trenches didn't change there clothes very often. They couldn't change their clothes for at least a week or maybe even longer in some cases. In 1915, 1 solider didn't change his clothes for 42 days. Along with this, all of the soldiers' clothes were ridden with lice. They hid in the creases of clothes/uniforms and in the soldiers' hair. They were really hard to kill and the only known way to kill them was to burn them with the but of a cigarette(the end of a cigarette).

Answer 2

Infantry in all wars have "lived in the field"; civilians of modern societies have a very poor grasp of exactly what this means, as we have become accustomed to easy access to food, clean water, sanitation, and clean clothes. Even modern militaries have put great effort into providing these "creature comforts" on a reasonably frequent basis to their soldiers.

The level of filth and unsanitary living conditions that a typical soldier on the Western Front of WW1 had to endure is almost unimaginable for a modern person. A typical battalion (a unit of about 1500 soldiers) would have 3 companies of 300-400 each. Two of the companies would be stationed in the forward trenches, with the third company held in reserve, several hundred yards behind the main trench line. The three companies would rotate positions, with each company staying 5-7 days in the rear position (that is, 10 days to two weeks in the trenches, then 5-7 days in the rear). In the trenches, there was no sanitation of any kind - the best available was buckets for toilets, or, pit "toilets" with a board as a seat. In the rear position, things were a bit better, with primitive latrines being dug and serviced. Depending on the location, there was the possibility of a shower, but in most cases, the soldier could expect at best to get a "sponge bath" using wash cloths. A full shower would have to wait until the battalion was pulled off the line completely, and rotated to the divisional reserve, 3-5 miles in the rear. There, a soldier could expect an actual shower every couple of days.

So, to answer the question more succinctly: NO washing of any kind while in the trenches (2 weeks), followed by ONElight washing during the week in the rear (plus, a change of clothes), then a couple of actual showers every 2-3 months when spending 2-3 weeks in reserve.

Of course, all of this was subject to change due to attacks (both by the enemy and one's own side).