The Trench is a 1999 war film set in the 48 hours prior to the Battle of the Somme on July 1st 1916. The film follows a group of British soldiers from the Royal Fusiliers and captures their experiences during the build-up to the battle. Many of them are led to believe that the imminent action will be a walk-over and that casualties will be minimal due to an ongoing immense bombardment of the German lines. Only the platoon's war-weary Sergeant truly knows the extent of what the troops will be faced with.
The following firearms were used in the film The Trench:
2nd Lieutenant Harte can be seen with a Webley Mk VI revolver throughout the film both in and out of his holster. This revolver was first produced in 1915 as the standerd sidearm for British and Commnwealth forces. Due to shortages of this firearm, multiple alternatives could be encountered such as revolvers purchased from Smith & Wesson and Colt in America and chambered in .455.
During the night raid on the German line, a Webley & Scott Signal Pistol is used to provide illumination as well as to indicate the time (one is fired every 15 minutes). Whilst Webley & Scott were responsible for the design of this pistol, many were made to the same pattern by various other contractors.
The Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) is seen in the hands of the British soldiers throughout the film. By 1916 the Lee-Enfield was being produced in the Mk. III* configuration which lacked some of the features of the Mk. III for quicker production. These dropped features included windage-adjustable sights, magazine cut-off plates, round knurled cocking pieces and long-range volley sights.
A pair of Lewis Guns are seen in the background imemdiately prior to the attack. Neither are seen firing at any stage. This American-designed machine gun was produced by the Birmaingham Small Arms company in Britain from 1915 onwards and was used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces during both World Wars chambered in .303. They would also go on to see service in the U.S. armed forces chambered in .30-06.
Mills hand grenades are used during the trench raid scene of the film. The Mills Bomb was adopted as the No. 5 grenade in 1915 and was designed by golf club maker, Sir William Mills. Later models of the grenade saw service through the Second World War and beyond, not being entirely replaced until the 1970s.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingMills Hand Grenade.Error creating thumbnail: File missingSoldiers mill about next to a box of Mills bombs.Error creating thumbnail: File missingWinter shakes hands with Lieutenant Harte before leaving to raid the German trench. The red stripes on his grenades would indicate them as filled (with explosives) as opposed to practice grenades. Naturally, there is no doubt that the actual grenades used in the film were just prop dummies.
