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Canadians digging in and waiting for the next wave to pass them and go forward

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Canadians digging in and waiting for the next wave to pass them and go forward

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Summary

Canadian troops and a tank on the Western Front, during World War I. This photograph gives some sense of how treacherous and fraught fighting in World War I could be. The Canadian soldiers in the picture look very exposed: the long grass will obscure German machine-gunners from view but there are no obvious natural barriers to protect the Canadians from speculative machine gun fire. The small dug-out in the right foreground is the best protection they can manage until tank reinforcements arrive...The Whippet, or Mark A tank, introduced by Britain in 1917, was intended as a lighter, more mobile model than earlier tanks. The mobility of the Whippet was one of the keys to the Allies' success at Cambrai in November 1917...[Original reads: 'Canadians digging in and waiting for the next wave to pass them and go forward. A whippet tank is seen returning from the wood in which were many enemy machine-gun nests. These were put out of action by larger tanks.']..digital.nls.uk/74549204 ( http://digital.nls.uk/74549204 )

Tanks in mass culture. Tanks were first developed separately and simultaneously by Great Britain and France as a means to break the deadlock of trench warfare on the Western Front. Their first use in combat was by the British Army in September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme. The name "tank" was adopted by the British during the early stages of their development, as a security measure to conceal their purpose.

World War I (WWI or WW1), also known as the First World War, or the Great War, was a global war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. World War I Images From National Library of Schotland. These photographs form part of the papers of Field Marshal (Earl) Haig (1861-1928), held by the National Library of Scotland. More information is available from the Library's Digital Archive. Like many World War I generals, Haig remains a controversial figure. The collection contains diaries, papers and photographs from every part of Haig’s career, the Great War diaries being of special importance to historians. Photographs in the "Official Photographs" series (which were destined for publication and have captions on the back describing the image) are in black-and-white. World War I saw the development of a system of 'official’ reporting by professionals especially recruited into the forces. Initially reluctant to allow cameras near the fighting, it took some time for the authorities to appreciate the propaganda and recording potential of photography. These photographs provide us with an invaluable record of how the Government and Military wanted the war perceived. Official photographers were encouraged to record morale-boosting scenes of victory and comradeship. Despite the restrictions placed on them, official war photographers succeeded in giving the most comprehensive visual account of the war. It is important to remember that these images were propaganda; few that could depict the war in a disheartening or disconcerting way passed the censors. As a result the photograph taken was often posed. They were intended to reassure those at home and boost morale. They were printed in newspapers, and were intended to confirm that 'Tommy' was winning the war.

date_range

Date

1914
place

Location

Les Moineaux, 36330 Arthon, France46.71067, 1.71819
Google Map of 46.71066944444445, 1.718188888888889
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Source

National Library of Scotland
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