Fighting in the Trenches – Here’s How British Troops Train For a Modern Version of Old Warfare

Trench fortifications, reminiscent of World War One, have become an integral part of the war in Ukraine. Both sides have dug vast networks of fortifications, signaling to Western forces that the old style warfare is very much in play.

In the United Kingdom, British forces have dug a series of newly refurbished trenches, built in the style similar to those used by Russian and Ukrainian troops.

READ MORE about fighting on the ground in Ukraine.

On the Platoon Sergeants Battle Course at Sennybridge Training area (home to the infantry battle school), a week is spent focusing on the evolution of this type of warfare.

Although elements of trench warfare have always been part of the training, there is a renewed focus on updated trench techniques and urban warfare tactics.

Personnel are learning the art of moving and fighting through these fortifications, which differ from the British Army’s ‘fighting trenching’  – which are small groupings of separate trenches.

Colour Sgt Gavin Dillon, an instructor at the Infantry Battle School, told Forces News that a British soldier needed to be increasingly adaptable, given the wider context of what is going on in the world.

“We are going to encounter trenches, we are going to encounter close-quarter battle fighting,” he said. “It’s important that we’re adaptable to any terrain that we’re going into – that we’ve got drills and skills ready to meet the enemy.”

– From a report by British Forces Net