This day in history - 29:01:1149.4

29:01:1149.4 On this day the first unofficial trench was started in the War between the Gurden Kingdom and the Azbian Empire.  It was started by Private Bill “green thumb” Shenstone of the Gurden 1st. Regiment of Foot who, having grown bored during a particularly lethargic period of hostilities, decided to plant a row of potatoes.  His digging attracted the attention of some raw recruits just up from training.  Not knowing what they should be doing, and thinking that they would get into trouble if found doing nothing, they started to dig as well.  Very soon most of the army was digging, each member following the adage; rule one: don’t stick out; rule two: don’t volunteer for anything. - Within days over forty miles of trench system stretched out across the frontline.  The Generals, extremely happy that they couldn’t find a single lazy soldier, were slightly perplexed as no order could be found ordering the construction of such defences.  This was nothing to the bewilderment of the Azbian Empire, who had expected an attack from Gurden, and not a consolidation of their position.  Unnerved by the turn of events, they ordered their troops to start building an elaborate trench system which extended, when finished, from the Attica mountains to the sea. 

Footnote: Private Bill Shenstone never did get his potatoes to grow.  It turned out, after all, that he was a lousy gardener who just had a touch of gangrene in his fingers; just goes to show…