Trencho : the new war game

1 game (1 board), colour illustration, rules printed on game board, 32cm x 39 cm. Part of the Children's Literature Research Collection. 

'Trencho' is a game inspired by the development of trench fighting during World War I, whereby opposing sides built deep trenches as a place to defend against the enemy, spy and move between underground tunnels to communicate, and for accommodation if it was not possible to leave the war front.

The game is for two players and is played with nine 'men' or counters a side. The object of the game is to capture a trench by placing three men in a straight line in one trench. This particular set is missing the counters although any pieces can be used as counters as long as there are nine the same for each player, for example, black and white.

National Archives of Australia cites this game as originally created and registered in July 1915 by Herbert Carey Tucker of Colac, Victoria, Australia.
A second version was produced following the popularity of the first edition. 
A 1915 newspaper advertisement in the Sydney Sun heralded the publication of the 'Trencho' game and suggested it would be a great idea to send a copy of the game to 'your soldier friends at Gallipoli'. It is difficult to imagine that it would have been received with much glee given that some of the soldiers had already endured terrible trench warfare conditions in Europe. Thursday 9th September 1915, page 2.

Permission to use this item for any purpose, including publishing, is not required from the State Library under these conditions of use.

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