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Cavalry Officers in their bivouacs behind the line
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As this image contains eight cavalry officers, the photographer - John Warwick Brooke - was very much capturing a part of the army that was rapidly becoming defunct, as the sudden move to mechanised warfare took over from the older and more traditional forms of warfare. Although the officer at the front right of the group is wearing his riding boots, the rest of the men are wearing shoes and puttees...Up until 1914, the main strategy of a cavalry attack was to force a hole in the opposing lines, into which the cavalry would gallop and create havoc behind the enemy lines. Faced with a combined defence of machine-guns, artillery fire, barbed wire and concentrated rifle fire, it became clear that a cavalry attack on the Western Front after 1914 was absolute madness. After this became apparent to the generals, many cavalrymen dismounted and fought in the trenches as infantrymen or in the air as pilots...[Original reads: 'OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN ON THE BRITISH WESTERN FRONT. Cavalry Officers in their bivouacs behind the line.']..digital.nls.uk/74548092 ( http://digital.nls.uk/74548092 )
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.
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