In the few spare moments when not pounding the Boche our gunners settl...
Three gunners playing a game of cards. They are using a wooden crate as a table, and are sitting outside a dugout or hideout constructed from sandbags. All three are smoking pipes or cigarettes. There is a bott... More
Within 100 yards of Thiepval Village, Flanders
Two soldiers with their backs to the camera, are leaning up against the incline of the trench. The bottom of the trench is quite narrow and their equipment is lying to hand. They are peering over the top of the... More
Lonely outpost on a canal bank, Flanders
This photograph shows a solitary soldier on watch beside a canal. He has the protection of a few sandbags and some branches, behind which he is crouched with rifle and bayonet...This is evocative of many of the... More
Dressing station, Flanders during World War I
A shed runs down the left of the photograph. The shed is made of sandbags and has a very large opening with no door. The roof is made of a sheet of wood and there are duckboards laid along the front of the shed... More
Tommy has just bought a chicken for his Christmas dinner
Soldiers buying a chicken for their Christmas dinner. Three soldiers are standing in front of what appears to be a large farm building. The top half of a split door has been left open and there are piles of sac... More
Deserted trench during World War I, Flanders
A deserted and muddy trench. In the background there is a fence which is constructed using large posts with interwoven branches running horizontally. This would have been used as a support to prevent collapse o... More
Front trench, showing the Lewis gun ready to deal with Boche
In this photograph, a machine-gun crew are standing in a front-line trench with a Lewis gun. The outer edge of the trench, to the left, is sandbagged to head height. The Lewis gun is lying across the back of th... More
Not necessary now, Flanders during World War I
Scene in an old support line near Kemmel, Belgium. Soldiers in a support trench. The walls of the trench are constructed from sandbags. Within these walls there are a number of dugouts. The men in the trench ar... More
Portuguese entering a gas trench
At the bottom right corner of the photograph is the entrance to a trench. It doesn't look very deep and is supported by sandbags up its sides. The background is dominated by the side of a steep hill. This is gr... More
All is quiet on our front during World War I
Wooden duckboards snake across a field behind a sandbag and barbed wire wall. The entrance to a dugout is just visible on the edge of the photo. Groups of soldiers are standing in the outcrops with aimed rifles... More
Gunner writing a letter home, Flanders
A man sits on some rough wooden planks, next to a pile of sandbags, and smokes a pipe as he concentrates on writing. In the background another man, also busy writing, has noticed the photographer and pauses to ... More
Portuguese at the Instructional School
Troops marching in formation down the curve of a short slope to meet their colleagues at the bottom. These troops are lined up in neat rows in the flat basin at the bottom of the hill. In front of the rows a wa... More
More 'pills' for the Boche, Flanders
Two uniformed men inspect a stockpile of shells. The shells are stacked in large bundles and cradled in large strips of corrugated iron. In the background a number of dugouts or stores are visible, the entrance... More
Officer writing home, Flanders during World War I
Sitting on some sandbags and surrounded by scattered debris, this officer is writing a letter home. He is wearing puttees (protective leggings) over his lower legs...Mail to and from home was strictly censored ... More
Writing home, Flanders during World War I
Soldier writing a letter, Messines, Belgium, 1917. A young soldier reclines on the ground. He is writing on a small piece of paper, possibly a letter home. He is using a block of wood as a makeshift writing des... More
Built up communication trench running to front line, Flanders
Communications trench above ground, Western Front. In some places, as this photograph shows, it was not possible to dig trenches, either because the ground was too waterlogged, or because the underlying rock wa... More
Rude awakening, Flanders during World War I
Firing a field gun, during World War I. In the foreground stands a man leaning against a bridge which crosses his trench. At the back of the picture is a large, smoking field gun which has just been fired...Fie... More
Straight from the ship into the train - oats for our horses
Oats being loaded into a train, Western Front, during World War I. This image shows men unloading sacks from a crane into a train wagon. The original caption identifies these sacks as containing oat supplies fo... 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
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
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
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
Highland machine-gunner ready with his gun for any emergency
There is a thin line of trees in the background which open out onto countryside. At the front of the picture a trench has been dug into a field of long grass. This trench is not particularly deep and is quite s... More
South African look-out during World War I
A South African soldier standing watch, behind a large rock or mound of earth reinforced with sandbags. He is standing on a duckboard and is slightly crouched down, probably to avoid becoming a target. His rifl... More
Massive concrete dugout for German battery now in our hands thanks to...
A large gun positioned outside a concrete dugout. Two men are sitting outside smoking. The gun itself, positioned close to the entrance of the dugout, looks in poor condition. The ground is very muddy and uneve... More
German army in WWI - Resting in their cage
German prisoners after the capture of St Pierre Divion, France, November, 1916. German prisoners are held in a barbed wire enclosure. Some are standing, others are sitting on the ground, resting. Several of the... More
Outpost on a road in front of Ypres, Flanders
At the roadside, Ypres, Belgium. A number of soldiers positioned in an outpost. It is at the side of a road and appears to be a large ditch or possibly shell hole, which has been converted. Sandbags have been p... More
H.M. at a gas school during World War I
King George V being shown around a gas school at the Front. Mock trenches lined with sandbags have been set up for training exercises. The King is standing at the edge of a trench, and watches as a man demonstr... More
![Yeast store: dug down like a dug out [sic], Flanders](https://cache.getarchive.net/Prod/thumb/cdn2/L3RodW1ibmFpbC8xOTE0LzEyLzMxL3llYXN0LXN0b3JlLWR1Zy1kb3duLWxpa2UtYS1kdWctb3V0LXNpYy0yMDAuanBn/40/40/webp "Yeast store: dug down like a dug out [sic], Flanders")
Yeast store: dug down like a dug out [sic], Flanders
Food store at the Western Front, during World War I. A man stands in the entrance to a yeast store. The store itself has been constructed using mainly wooden crates and sandbags. Due to a serious lack of storag... More
Two German shells bursting in our lines, Flanders
Two shells exploding in the distance. According to the existing caption they have been fired by the Germans and are exploding on Allied lines. They appear as two large puffs of smoke in the sky. It is impossibl... More
Drawing his breath, Flanders - Public domain drawing
The soldier in the middle of the scene has his back to the camera and a bundle of curly metal rods balanced on his shoulders. He is half sitting on a wall of sandbags and looks like he is about to swing his leg... More
Portuguese in the trenches during World War I
Eight soldiers are standing grouped in a small courtyard behind the lines. Ground level is visible above the tops of the trench along with the vegetation which is growing up there. Along the left side of the pi... More
Dug-outs near an overflow from the Ypres-Comines Canal
Soldiers sitting outside a row of well constructed dugouts. A small makeshift bridge has been built across the water. The dugouts have been built against a high bank of earth using sandbags and corrugated iron.... More
Brigadier-General giving his orders to a Colonel, Flanders
Officers communicating orders to each other, France. The bottom storey of a grand house and the street it fronts onto is visible in this photograph. On the right are two soldiers, one with a gun, who are on gua... More
Tea time, Flanders during World War I
Soldiers sitting in a row, having something to eat and drink. They appear to be sitting in front of a dugout or low lying shelter lined with sandbags and corrugated iron. Some of men are lying on their fronts i... More
Flooded dug-out in front line trench, Flanders
Soldier in a flooded dug-out, France, during World War I. This photograph shows a smiling soldier stooping down outside the entrance to a flooded dugout. Adjoined to the trench, frontline dugouts such as these ... More
Solid dugouts on the roadside, Flanders
This image shows a row of well-constructed dugouts positioned along a roadside. They have been built using a combination of sandbags, corrugated iron and wooden supports, and even appear to include a small chim... More
Advanced dressing station during World War I
The left of the photograph is dominated by a shelter. This shelter is made of sandbags and has a very wide door less entrance. On the ground outside are two rows of duckboards. There are pieces of equipment lea... More
Once a German trench, Flanders during World War I
Remains of a captured German trench after heavy artillery fire, during World War I. The entrance to a tunnel gives some idea of the labyrinthal network of tunnels and trenches that formed the front line defence... More
Horses of patrols tethered behind dug-outs in a dip
Row of horses tied up, Belgium. This image shows a line of horses tethered to some bushes. They are all wearing saddles and harnesses, and are laden with weapons and equipment. The ground they are standing on i... More
Winter quarters, Flanders during World War I
A soldier peering out of a makeshift, but fairly sturdy, shelter. It has been made of several of the curved sections of corrugated iron normally used in the larger Nissen huts. These have been stabilised with s... More
Scene near the front in the Ypres Salient
Near the Ypres battlefield, Belgium, during World War I. The terrain is very hilly and rough with poor visibility in all directions. The valley between two of the hills is divided by a wall made of sandbags. Th... More
H.M. passing the rescued bell of Guinchy church
King George V walking away from a large bell rescued from Guinchy church. The bell has been winched onto a purpose-built frame. The frame has been placed on a road, probably the nearest level surface. A group o... More
Happy Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in their temporary home near Y...
Members of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders posing for the camera, near Ypres, Belgium. Most of the men seen here are looking out from underneath a tent-like structure. Their heads are just visible above a... More
Staff car in a strafed village, Flanders
A military car parked beside a sentry-box built of sandbags in a partly destroyed village. Several signs indicate a gas-alarm point is situated at the sentry station. As the war progressed, motor vehicles were ... More
Portuguese at a Gas School, Flanders
Portuguese soldiers queuing to enter a gas shed. There is a shed to the left of the photograph which has been positioned at the bottom of a small hill. This hill is covered in rough grass and there is a bush gr... More
Alert outpost watching for enemy movements, Flanders
Outpost lookout, France, during World War I. Two soldiers are crouched in a small outpost, keeping watch across what looks like a canal. The outpost itself uses the natural protection of several trees and it is... More
Scene in a front line trench, Flanders
This shows a section of trench about one metre deep, but built up with sandbags to about two metres height on the front side. Three soldiers in the foreground have turned to look at the camera. They have bayone... More
Telling the tale!, Flanders during World War I
Two gas sentries having a chat with a medical officer. Both the gas sentries are members of Scots regiments, and one is wearing a kilt. One man is sitting on the remains of a stone wall, next to a wall of sandb... More
Prisoners coming in from Thiepval
The picture is taken from the top of an embankment looking down on a narrow road with a train track running along one side. The road is bound on each side by high, foliaged embankments which are crowned by tall... More
Two men of the Coldstream Guards having a drink from a forward water s...
Two uniformed men standing over a supply of drinking water. There is a large metal water tank next to the two men, with a sign which states 'DRINKING WATER ONLY.' A pile of sandbags has been carefully stacked b... More
King in a gun pit during World War I
King George V inspecting a gun emplacement, Western Front, during World War I. HRH King George V of Britain (1865-1936) inspecting a gun emplacement. To the extreme right, two officers are visible, the nearer o... More
War!, Flanders during World War I
The war experience of most ordinary soldiers is summed up in this image. The soldiers and their steel hats, tucked into their trench; the duckboards for access over the top; the donkeys and carriages transporti... More
Portuguese officers at bayonet practice
A line of men disappearing off the left edge of the photograph. They are wearing light-coloured uniforms and pillar-box caps. They are all jabbing their bayonets into a sack-cloth pillow on the ground. Their mu... More
Where the yeast is stored, Flanders
Bakers checking their yeast, Western Front, during World War I. Three bakers in white uniforms standing at the yeast store. The yeast is in sacks which appear to be laid on a wooden framework around an air vent... More
Where the yeast is stored, Flanders
Bakers checking their yeast, Western Front, during World War I. Three bakers in white uniforms standing at the yeast store. The yeast is in sacks which appear to be laid on a wooden framework around an air vent... More
Tommies playing with their little pet, Flanders
Two uniformed men with a small dog. The two men are sitting outside on a pile of sandbags. The man on the left holds the front paws of the dog as it stands on its hind legs. There is another man sitting on the ... More
Having a good look at it before going over
This photograph shows a New Zealand officer attempting a jump at an army horse show. The jump is a wide bank made of sandbags which the horse appears to be clambering over rather than jumping. Other officers ar... More
Weighing the meat before it is entrained, Flanders
A crowd of uniformed men standing on a quayside watches as sacks of newly arrived supplies are hoisted on to a trolley. They are about to be loaded on a train, destined for the Front. Train carriages are visibl... More
Wounded under an awning near Messines, Flanders
Wounded soldiers lying on stretchers, lined up along the ground. They are reasonably sheltered, with sandbags behind them and awnings propped up over them. The soldier nearest the camera is being helped by a ma... More
Wet and muddy trench, Flanders during World War I
Trench during World War I. An extremely wet and muddy trench. In the background there is a soldier sheltering from the rain, outside what could be the entrance to a dugout. Sandbags are piled up around the wall... More
Arrival of hot rations during World War I
Five soldiers are standing in a trench. The trench is relatively wide and more than a person deep. Along the right side it is topped by tall grasses and bushes and lined with duckboards. The other side of the t... More
Letter home during World War I
Portugese in the trenches. Two soldiers are sitting side by side on a ledge in the mud. They are leaning up against ranch fencing supported by sandbags. They are surrounded by a confusing maze of sandbags and f... More
In the Bakery - putting sacks of flour on the elevator
Two soldiers moving flour bags. Two soldiers are straining under the weight of large sacks of flour, which they are carrying on their backs. Their uniforms have become completely white due to the work they are ... More