Heavy howitzer straffing the Hun, Flanders
Eleven soldiers are involved in manoeuvring and loading a howitzer gun, whilst an officer watches on. The gun is resting on a false wooden floor to support its weight. A bombed cottage can be seen in the backgr... More
Royal Engineers repairing a bridge in the Somme area after the German ...
The bottom left of the photograph is a mass of tangled pieces of metal. There are four soldiers in amongst this tangle trying to salvage pieces. In front of this a little dingy with a soldier in it is moored to... More
We mean business believe me, Flanders
Uniformed men inside a 'tepee-style' tent. Only their heads are showing, and they are all looking directly at the camera. This shot has obviously been set up and is intentionally fun and light-hearted. The tent... More
Battle for the ridges, Flanders
Two artillerymen lie sleeping on a gun carriage. It looks very uncomfortable. Soldiers at the front often had to grab sleep when they could in un-conducive surroundings. Due to the exhaustion experienced this t... More
Some Tommies having dinner in a captured village, Flanders
Soldiers eating, Western Front, during World War I. Soldiers relaxing in the remains of a shelled building. One man is sitting and eating at a salvaged table, while others are scavenging through the wreckage. T... More
General Gouard visits a school of instruction for officers
General Gouard, France, during World War I. According to the photograph's original caption, he is visiting an instruction school for officers. ..Visits to Allied forces' troops from high-ranking officers from t... More
Car in trouble after the thaw during World War I
Car being towed, France, during World War I. This image shows a car being towed through thick mud. As the car in front tries to pull the other free, a soldier lends a hand by pulling on the tow rope. A group of... More
Army Commander Sir H.S. Horne inspecting machine gun limbers
Inspection of gun carriages, France, during World War I. This photograph shows Commander Sir Henry Horne (1861-1929) inspecting a parade line of empty gun carriages. Each consists of two pairs of large wheels w... More
Howitzer in the act of firing, Flanders
A Howitzer being fired, with three men standing to the right of the gun. One of the men is using a very long rod or taper to ignite the charge. The British-designed Howitzer was widely used, both by British and... More
Laying down a line on the ground just captured from the Germans
Laying railway lines, during World War I. A group of soldiers in the foreground stand on top of railway tracks which are waiting to be assembled by the group working ahead. ..Military railways were constructed ... More
Owing to modern artillery, captured villages have to be marked with a ...
Wooden signs which have been neatly written read, 'High Street. This village is Ervillers. Town Major (arrow to the right). P W Pen (arrow to the left).' There are two soldiers beside the signs one of whom is k... More
Deputy Haase, Chairman of the Peoples' Commissaries, addressing the cr...
Haase speaking at funeral of revolutionary victims, Berlin, November 1918. In this photograph, Hugo Haase (1863-1919) is standing on a platform addressing a crowd at the funeral of the victims of the Berlin Rev... More
Officer and man of the Signal Service testing wires, Flanders
Two uniformed men beneath a telegraph pole. The man on the right is using a portable telephone or wireless set. The task of installing, testing and repairing communication lines and cable during the war was nev... More
Chipilly which was taken after hard fighting by London troops
A badly bombed or shelled village. It is a depressing scene of destruction and devastation. On the right, one building has completely collapsed - those left standing are badly damaged and possibly beyond repair... More
Her Majesty was very interested in the Nissen huts
Queen Mary standing outside a Nissen hut. There is a duckboard path running along the front of the hut, and two bunches of flowers decorate the doorway. Standing in the doorway is a woman dressed in white, hold... More
Beautiful old bridge now well behind the line, has stood all the bomba...
Men, possibly a working party or labour battalion, crossing what is left of a bridge. Some of the men are carrying shovels and pickaxes. The bridge, despite looking on the point of collapse, is still standing. ... More
French & British soldiers who have been wounded in the same battle tre...
A motley line of soldiers are sitting on a rickety bench. They are sporting an assortment of bandages and are being tended by two nurses and another soldier. They are sitting in front of an assortment of tents,... More
Cavalry reconnaissance party during World War I
This image has an other-worldly atmosphere to it. It is believed to have been the work of the official war photographer John Warwick Brooke. The soldiers and their horses are standing in the middle of jagged pi... More
Salvaging the linen of a Casualty Clearing station, Flanders
A uniformed man sorting through a large pile of blankets and sheets at a casualty clearing station. He is standing in a field scattered with various items of household furniture and debris. ..After receiving in... More
Outpost waiting for any enemy movement, Flanders
This photograph shows three soldiers on lookout duty in a small outpost. The three men are in a small dugout pit, the sides of which are built up with turves. A tin jug, an empty china jug and the sack beside t... More
Some officers on the roof of their dug-out, Flanders
Five officers sit above their dugout in a snow-covered landscape - the entrance to the dugout is visible in the foreground. All of the men are looking towards the camera and, despite being cold, are happily pos... More
Anti-aircraft guns which brought down a huge German aeroplane in Franc...
Anti-aircraft gun, France, during World War I. This image is rather arresting due to the gun barrel silhouetted against the barren landscape. There is also strong sunlight falling across parts of the image. Thi... More
French troops lined up watching British Artillery passing through a vi...
Dressed in their traditional black berets which were called 'chasseurs', these French troops observe a convoy of British horse-drawn artillery passing through a village. Most of these French soldiers are wearin... More
Butchers of the natives of Manipur at work
There are six soldiers grouped around a long low table. Two of the soldiers have their backs to the camera. They are holding large meat cleavers and are all striking the meat. There are three carcasses draped o... More
Row of our wounded of the 13th having light refreshments at the Dressi...
A row of wounded soldiers are seated by a road at a dressing station. Their injuries appear to have been dressed, several have bandaged heads. Some have labels attached to their tunics. They are eating sandwich... More
Giant German plane which was brought down by us being towed away from ...
German plane being towed through a street by Allied soldiers, in France, during World War I. Clambering over their war booty like triumphant soldier ants, this image shows a proud group of Allied soldiers towin... More
Building a saw mill on the Western front, Flanders
Soldiers building an open-air sawmill. While the soldiers in the foreground are cutting the fallen tree trunks with two-man manual saws, the soldiers in the background are doing mechanised work with the steam e... More
Frozen watering point, Flanders
A line of heavy draught horses are standing beside a long water trough which rests on a timber frame. The water is frozen and one soldier is trying to break the ice. One pair of horses beside the trough appear ... More
Lowering pipes into a river which are connected with the mobile de-poi...
Sterilising water stage 1, France, during World War I. A soldier is standing on a bridge in a town. He is leaning over an iron railing to lower two hosepipes into the river below. Each hose has a bucket on the ... More
R.A.F.Scouts in France flying towards the German lines in fighting for...
Reconnaissance aircraft, France, during World War I. This striking image shows five reconnaissance aircraft in a night sky. If the original caption is correct in naming these planes as belonging to the Royal Ai... More
Refugees coming back, Flanders during World War I
Soldiers are accompanying refugees who are herding cattle along a road, followed by a cart piled high with furniture and other belongings. These refugees appear to have been relatively lucky, others escaped wit... More
Building a dugout, Flanders during World War I
Soldiers building a dugout in the supporting reserve lines. Underground dugouts like these were used by officers for planning attacks, while soldiers used them for eating and resting. This image looks like a '... More
Tommies sport by a river whilst resting, Flanders
This river runs through the middle of some sparse woodland. On the near bank is a group of soldiers in various stages of undress. Some of them are sitting on a bench while others stretch out on the bank. A make... More
French Girls watching H.M.'s departure
A fully uniformed King George V (1865-1936) during one of his visits to the Western Front. Though flanked by some of his generals, it is perhaps rather unusual to see the King surrounded almost entirely by wome... More
What it looks like in the front line 50 yards from Regina trench
Soldiers in a trench. One man is looking through a periscope, towards the enemy lines. The other soldiers are leaning against the trench wall, having a rest. A close look at the surrounding area shows that it i... More
Searching newly captured German prisoners
Prisoners of war being searched, Western Front, during World War I. This photograph shows two British soldiers searching the personal possessions of a group of five German prisoners. One of the Germans is searc... More
En route to the front line, Flanders
Four carriages loaded with goods and soldiers are travelling round curving rail tracks. The soldiers are precariously balanced on top of the goods. There is snow on the ground and they are all wearing heavy coa... More
Cooks of the Newfoundland Regiment at the cookers
The cooker has been parked in the corner of a yard, which has low outhouses in it. The sinuous roof tiles and bricks can be seen in the background along with the right-angled gap between the buildings. The cook... More
Some of the prisoners taken by the British
With a background of ruined buildings, a single British soldier is standing in front of some 80 or so German prisoners. A few other British soldiers can be seen in the background. There is a remarkable lack of ... More
Drawing rations at the front, Flanders
Rations station at the Front, France. A large group of men are gathered around a crude trestle table. Some of them have boxes in which to carry the rations. There are two men with sheaves of paper and a third w... More
Engineers making camoflage at the front, Flanders
A team of engineers making strips of camouflage. Lengths of netting have been placed over makeshift posts, and the men are carefully attaching pieces of cloth or fibre. There are six men working on the strip in... More
Some men in a shell hole 5 kilometres beyond the old German front line
Six men are sitting in a mud crater in a field. Two of them are standing in a deeper, round pit. Across the middle of the hollow a temporary roof has been erected and there are more men under this...Scenes such... More
Haig reviewing Wolf Cubs, Glasgow, just after World War I
Field Marshal (Earl) Haig (1861-1928), in army uniform, reviewing Wolf Cubs, apparently in Glasgow. Another army officer, also in uniform, is standing behind him, so it is possible that this photograph was take... More
Chaplain with a little German prisoner, Flanders
An army chaplain holding a small dog in his hands. He is obviously posing for this photograph. This is a good example of the type of positive image often used by the Government and Military as propaganda. By gi... More
Heavy load of sandbags for the front line, Flanders
The soldier in this photograph is carrying a large sack, apparently full of sandbags. They must have been extremely difficult to carry as the sand would have been wet and the ground was slippery with mud. Photo... More
Comics of an R.A.F. Sports, Flanders
This photograph shows Royal Air Force men having a laugh at two of their number. One man, dressed as a woman, is seated side-saddle on a donkey, while the other appears to be dressed as the husband. The Nissen ... More
Formidable wire entanglement which is easily placed anywhere, Flanders
A lone soldier is standing at the end of a drum of barbed wire gripping the ends of the crosses. The wired is rolled round a 'drum' made up of crosses of metal. The crosses are then joined down the middle by on... More
Two typical Canadians during World War I
Two older men in the middle of the photograph are facing the camera. They are both wearing 'mountie-style' hats and sport bushy moustaches. The man sitting on the end of a log is smoking a cigarette. He is wear... More
Boche machine guns captured at Beaucourt sur Ancre, Flanders
Two soldiers are sitting on the edge of a German trench examining captured German machine guns. The entrance to the German dugout is in the background. The soldier in the background has the cap badge of the Nor... More
H.M. conversing with a war correspondent
King George V (second from the right) conversing with a man holding a notepad. There are two further men standing beside them - all are in uniform. According to the original caption, the man talking to the King... More
H.M. talking to an infantryman during World War I
King George V talking to an infantryman. They are standing in a field filled with crops. The King is in military uniform and is leaning on a cane. The soldier is standing with his back to the camera. He is wear... More
Dinner amidst the ruins, Flanders
The group of soldiers in the middle of this scene are trying to cook and eat dinner amongst the ruins. They are perched on top of a pile of rubble. One soldier is balancing on top of a block whilst trying to ea... More
Canadians marching through the streets of Mons, on the morning of Nove...
Canadian soldiers celebrating the Armistice in Mons, Belgium, during World War I. This photograph captures some of the atmosphere in Mons on the day of the Armistice. The shops and houses are hung with flags an... More
Scene in a trench where bombs take the place of snowballs
Like some desolate scene from the Arctic tundra, this image shows four soldiers looking out over the top of their snow-covered trench. The way the soldiers are raising their heads above the trench parapet, plu... More
Bringing in an injured man, Flanders
Two soldiers help their wounded comrade, during World War I. Two soldiers are staggering under the weight of their comrade who is sitting balanced on their linked arms. He seems to be a little distressed and hi... More
British troops moving to attack, Flanders
About ten soldiers are standing in a narrow trench while many others are running from right to left, across the trench line. More troops can be seen in the distance. They are carrying their full kit and have th... More
Battle of Flanders during World War I
Flanders battlefield. It is a depressing scene of destruction and devastation. In the distance a house, with extensive damage to the roof, remains standing. Also in the distance other buildings that have not fa... More
Serving the guns, Flanders during World War I
Firing a field gun. Eight men are all engaged in loading and firing a large field gun. They are working with their shirts off and are in the middle of a dust cloud which is creating poor visibility...Field guns... More
Horses waiting to fetch ammunition, Flanders
The ruins of a cottage or outhouses have various horses stabled in them or lined up through them. The ruins have been there long enough that there are saplings growing in them! One of the soldiers with the hors... More
Reading the news in the trenches 1000 yards from the Bosch present pos...
Soldiers in a trench, all wearing steel helmets. Four of them crowd round a newspaper. Their rifles and kit have been put to the left side of the trench, and are hanging from the walls of the trench. The ground... More
Queen accepts a present during World War I
Queen Mary being presented with a gift. She is being looked after by a small group of army officials. In the background there is a large brick building, possibly a factory. Queen Mary and her lady-in-waiting ar... More
Open air cookery in a steel helmet near Miraumont-le-Grand
Three officers making themselves comfortable, near Miraumont-le-Grand, France, during World War I. Steel helmets had many more uses than the War Offfice might have intended. This photograph shows three Royal Ar... More
Incident in a big football match near the line between British and Fre...
Football match between British and French soldiers, in France, during World War I. With a large group of French troops watching from the touchline, this image captures an exciting moment in a football match bet... More
Little French girl braves the shells to sell her wares to our Tommies ...
A young French girl trying to sell what looks like bars of chocolate to a small group of soldiers. She is carrying her supplies in a small wooden crate. The three men in front of her, all in uniform and wearing... More
American troops in France passing British men resting by the roadside
Columns of American troops marching along a road, France, during World War I. A long column of American troops are marching, four abreast behind an officer, along a road. They are carrying full kit and wearing ... More
Soldiers cheer the King of Belgium as he leaves, Flanders
The King of Belgium, Albert I (1875-1934), waves goodbye to a group of soldiers. He is standing next to a motorcar. The soldiers, in return, are waving and saluting the king. The ground is churned up and extrem... More
Spanish Officers in a captured German Trench, Flanders
Spanish officers visiting the Western Front, France, during World War I. Four men stand amidst the chaos of a captured German trench. The ground is muddy, churned up and littered with the debris of war. The man... More
Staff and Clerical staff of General Sir Arthur Sloggett, Flanders
This group photograph shows the staff of General Sir Arthur Sloggett (1857-1929) outside a large villa. Sir Arthur Sloggett was the Director General of the Medical Services for the British Forces in the Western... More
German prisoners taken in the new push lined for examination near Mess...
German prisoners of war, Messines, Belgium, 1917. Long rows of German soldiers are lined up diagonally across the picture. They are being watched from a high guard post behind them. Soldiers are lying watching ... More
Batch of prisoners resting on their way back
Prisoners are resting by the roadside. Most of the men are sitting on a steep grassy bank. It is possible some of those in charge of the prisoners are Australian soldiers, normally distinguishable to the layper... More
Observing every moment of the Boche, Flanders
This observation post has been built on a bank of earth and is concealed by sandbags. A uniformed man wearing a steel helmet stands at the top of the post. He is talking to a man who is standing on a wooden lad... More
Clearing up in St. Pierre Divion, Flanders
Soldiers, with their rifles on their backs with bayonets fixed, are searching through rubble, apparently for weapons left behind by the German troops. A pile of German rifles can be seen in the foreground. To t... More
Group of officers with the Prince of Wales in the centre
A rather young-looking Prince of Wales poses for the photographer, most likely John Warwick Brooke, along with a group of officers. He is sitting in the middle of the front row, with a cigarette in his right ha... More
Earl Haig inspecting the guard of honour
General Haig inspecting troops, Messine, Belgium. The image is framed by two rows of soldiers down either side, angling away from the camera. Between them General Haig and his staff are approaching the photogra... More
Cigarette firms send the different batteries cigarettes and the Sergea...
Soldiers standing next to a large gun. The ground around their feet is littered with sandbags and shells. To the left of the men there is a wall of sandbags and the entrance to a dugout. One man appears to be h... More
Royal Engineers cutting piles to construct a bridge, France, during Wo...
This photograph is one of a series attributed to Tom Aitken which show different processes in the construction of a new railway bridge by Royal Engineers. This view shows some of the men sawing huge baulks of t... More
Cooks of the K.O.Y.L.I. preparing a meal for the men in the trenches
Two members of the K.O.Y.L.I. preparing a meal, near Wieltje, Belgium, during World War I. This image shows two men preparing food on a makeshift table. They are standing outside, in front of a ruined building ... More
Valley scene near Arras, Flanders
Battlefield near Arras, France. In the front of the picture are old dugouts and an upturned cannon. The rest of the field is very jumbled and difficult to understand. In the distance a gun has just fired and it... More
Crucifix knocked over by a shell - figure remained intact, Flanders
In the background the landscape and the road are visible. The foreground is dominated by a concrete base housing a snapped-off post. On the ground, symbolically, lies the intact crucifix...It is difficult not t... More
H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught arriving at a school of Instruction in Fr...
A vintage car is travelling along a dirt track road with pleasant scenery in the background. The car is being driven by a chauffeur and the Duke is visible in the back seat...Royal visits were seen as conveying... More
Portuguese field limbers during World War I
Two donkeys harnessed to a double-axled carriage have halted on a road in the foreground of the picture. They are wearing a lot of heavy gear. There are two soldiers sitting on the front of the carriage. Their ... More
Light railway - of which we have a network, Flanders
Light-railway engine, crossing bombed out territory, during World War I. This photograph is at first a little difficult to understand. The ridge of land across the middle of the image supports a light railway t... More
General Sir Gerbert Plumer, K.C.M.G., K.C.B., General Sir E.H.H. Allen...
Three army commanders, Messines, 1917. They are all wearing hats and long overcoats. None of the men are looking at the camera. It is an un-posed and relaxed photograph. ..[Original reads: 'OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH ... More
German commanders - Public domain portrait print
This is a group photograph of a number of senior German army officers. They are standing on the steps of a building, in rank order with the four most senior officers in front. The photograph has been annotated ... More
French soldier and his wife returned to one of the captured villges i...
Couple searching for money. This is a close-up shot of a woman who is facing the camera and a man with his back to the camera talking to her. She is tightly bundled up while he is wearing his army coat and helm... More
Scene on the ground, Flanders during World War I
This picture is taken from the edge of a big grassy field. The field is edged with dense, lush trees which frame the sky above them. In the back of the picture there are groups of horses grazing and a few soldi... More
German field gun in Mametz Wood, Flanders
An abandoned field gun in Mametz Wood, France, during World War I. This image shows an abandoned field gun in Mametz Wood, France. According to the photograph's original caption it is a German gun. It is surrou... More
One of our big guns with which we annoy the enemy
A large gun is in the firing position, with some of the gun team standing on the firing platform. Very heavy artillery was developed as it became clear that fighting at the Western Front was a static form of wa... More
Note the gun in the air through going over a bank
Royal Horse Artillery in action, France, during World War I. This photograph shows a field gun being pulled into position by a horse team of the Royal Horse Artillery. They are going so fast that the two back w... More
This old lady is sitting on ruins which were once her home
Frenchwoman among the ruins of her home in Amiens, France, during World War I. Propaganda photographs that were staged for the official war photographers were not always as effective as more naturalistic pictur... More
Fresh meat going up to the troops, Flanders
Mule-drawn carts taking meat to the Front. There are two men guiding the mules. They are making their way passed some farm buildings. The road is dry and dusty. On the edge of the building on the left is a noti... More
King of Belgium with General Allenby
Three men have just walked round a parked car while four men wait on the opposite pavement to greet them. The car is parked in a lane, in front of a row of cottages. On the opposite side of the lane is a fence ... More
Virgin wounded in the shoulder, Flanders
Destruction at the village of Montaubaun, France. Four soldiers are sorting through a pile of rubble while two stand on and watch. In the distance the surrounding fields can be seen. In the middle of the photo ... More
After the strafing, Flanders during World War I
This photograph is of Thilloy, near Bapaume. It is a scene of total destruction and devastation. It is very difficult to imagine that this was once a village. Not one building has escaped damage. The road is ex... More
Scene in the mud during World War I
Soldiers standing in mud, France. The picture has been taken from the end of a ditch facing a large group of soldiers who tail away. The soldiers in the background are all lined up, carrying spades and waiting ... More
Field gun ready to guard a canal, Flanders
A field gun ready to guard a canal France, during World War I. The gun has been placed to shoot across a canal, covering the area near a bridge. Although the gunners are ready to fire, there seems little urgenc... More
Hauling out a captured German gun, Flanders
Soldiers struggling to manoeuvre a captured German gun. One group pushes from the rear, whilst the other group pull using two ropes attached to the wheels. Moving such a heavy piece of weaponry across rough ter... More
Sir Douglas Haig with Dominion journalists
Field Marshal Haig with British Empire war correspondents, France, during World War I. In the photograph Haig stands at the centre of the picture smiling. Journalists from Great Britain and her colonies flank H... More
This goat is the battery's mascot, Flanders
A young gunner sitting directly in front of the camera. He is in uniform and has the letters 'R.G.A.' on his lapel. Next to him a small goat is eating out of a metal container. The surrounding area is rough and... More
Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig with Army Commanders in France
Sir Douglas Haig surrounded by his fellow commanders in France, during World War I. This photograph shows Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig flanked by other members of the Allied general staff. Field Marshall Hai... More