Waiting to see the Queen during World War I
Red Cross staff waiting to meet Queen Mary, during World War I. This image shows a group of women in uniform posing for the camera with a dog, probably a pet or mascot. Their uniforms suggest they might be Red ... More
Cavalry on the move during World War I
The power and noise of all these animals and men on a purposeful move would have been a new sight for most of these conscripted soldiers. The quality of the light, the soldiers in their trenches and the field o... More
Officers chatting in their billets
Members of the Newfoundland Regiment. The men are positioned on a tree-lined path leading up to large and impressive collection of buildings. Most of them are sitting on low walls lining both sides of the small... More
Ammunition dumps, Flanders during World War I
The centre of the photograph is dominated by shells stacked two wide and eight high on a pallet. On the far side of the stack soldiers are working hard at packing them into boxes on a carriage. These boxes open... More
![Ruins of the village of Tillay [sic] captured by our troops](https://cache.getarchive.net/Prod/thumb/cdn2/L3RodW1ibmFpbC8xOTE0LzEyLzMxL3J1aW5zLW9mLXRoZS12aWxsYWdlLW9mLXRpbGxheS1zaWMtY2FwdHVyZWQtYnktb3VyLXRyb29wcy0yMDAuanBn/40/40/webp "Ruins of the village of Tillay [sic] captured by our troops")
Ruins of the village of Tillay [sic] captured by our troops
The ruined remains of the village of Tilloy. A large pile of bricks and rubble crowd the foreground. The buildings in the background have been damaged beyond repair. It is a bleak and desolate scene - barely re... More
Old Frenchwoman in Amiens evacuating her house leaving her pet canary ...
Evacuee from Amiens giving her canary to a British soldier, in France, during World War I. A Frenchwoman - wearing a French military helmet - hands over her pet canary to a British soldier for safekeeping, duri... More
W.A.A.C. officers visit the wreckage of a German bombing machine
W.A.A.C officers viewing a wrecked enemy plane, France, during World War I. This photograph is one showing salvage work being carried out on wrecked enemy planes. The fact that the soldier is so engrossed in co... More
Officers watching a wiring demonstration in France
Officers inspecting a barbed wire exercise, France, during World War I. This working party of soldiers is showing the assembled officers how they coil belts of barbed wire to build a defensive fence for the fro... More
Highland gas sentry reading a letter from home, Flanders
Soldier reading his letter, during World War I. A kilted soldier is half leaning and half sitting on a muddy embankment. The surroundings are a little disorientating but there may be a dugout on the right of th... More
Old German front line near Beaumont Hamel, Flanders
A soldier making his way over a wooden beam positioned across the top of a trench. He is wearing a steel helmet and carrying a large container. The area on both sides of the trench is covered with barbed wire e... More
Smashed up German trench on Messines Ridge with dead
This is a disturbing image of a destroyed German trench. In the foreground the limp bodies of dead German soldiers lie amidst the rubble. It is difficult to distinguish the soldiers from the chaos around them, ... More
Street scene of Peronne during World War I
Whilst this image is shocking, sadly it was an all too familiar sight during the four years of fighting. Countless towns and villages along the Western Front suffered similar levels of devastation. This particu... More
Spectators watching the swimming race
Spectators at a swimming competition, during World War I. This image shows a group of women and children standing on a river bank. They are watching members of the cavalry taking part in a swimming competition.... More
Canadian captives marching through a town
Captives marching through a town, during World War I. Prisoners taken captive by Canadian soldiers march through a small town. Soldiers and civilians watch from the roadside, as the captives are escorted throug... 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
Canadian heroes buried where they fell on the barbed wire
Makeshift graveyard for Canadian soldiers. This striking and poignant image shows three crudely made crosses standing upright amongst a tangle of barbed wire. At first it is difficult to make out the crucifixes... More
Filling up a water cart in the snow, Flanders
Soldiers, gathered around a well or water pump, are filling various containers with water. Next to them are two horses pulling a large storage tank or drum on wheels. It is possible the water is being transferr... More
British Tommy interests himself in the happiness of the kiddies on the...
French children playing with a British soldier on a beach, France, during World War I. Dressed in the long and stripy swimsuits that were traditional in this era, these French children are enjoying playing in t... More
New 5.9 Boche destroyed by our artillery, Flanders
This serene image was captured by the official war photographer, John Warwick Brooke. The landscape looks very beautiful and there is a peaceful atmosphere conveyed in this scene. This could be because the sold... More
Interior of Arras Cathedral, Flanders
This image is dominated by the still standing aisle columns [of Arras Cathedral]. Part of the roof and upper storey is visible but not much else due to the angle of the photograph. A lot of the liming is chippe... More
Thanksgiving service in the Cambrai Cathedral for the deliverance of t...
Context: RLS Haig "Official Photographs" > Canadians..Page:X.25016..Title:Thanksgiving service in the Cambrai Cathedral for the deliverance of the Town..Permanent URL:digital.nls.uk/74549224 ( http://digital.n... More
I'll guess it's hot carrying that lot
Two soldiers stand face-to-face with each other. They are standing on a path at the edge of a formal garden. In the background more paths and wooden buildings are visible. The soldier on the right is informally... More
Newly captured German machine at a Flying Corps depot near the front
Captured German fighter plane with some Flying Corps members, France. This photograph was taken at a Royal Flying Corps base near the front line on the Western Front, and shows a recently captured German fighte... More
Gunners setting time fuses, Flanders
Four uniformed men stand next to a wooden table. Rows of large shells have been placed on the table. According to the original caption these men are gunners and are setting fuses. The man on the right is adjust... More
Town Clerk of Dover reading address of welcome to the Field Marshal
Civic welcome at Dover, England, probably December 1918. Field Marshal (Earl) Haig (1861-1928) listening as the Town Clerk of Dover (in a legal wig) reads an address of welcome watched by the Mayor (with a chai... More
77 mm. guns which were captured by the British during the advance
Eight soldiers are standing grouped around a gun. They are all uniformed and wearing helmets. Three of the soldiers are just standing behind the gun, looking on and chatting amongst themselves. Four soldiers ar... More
Looking at Fricourt and Fricourt Wood, Flanders
Troops resting at Fricourt, France. The front of the picture is dominated by rows of tents and the men milling around them. The men are relaxing or carrying out domestic duties. In the background the rest of th... More
Transport crossing a pontoon bridge, Flanders
Pontoon bridge, France, during World War I. This photograph shows a military transport cart, pulled by two grey horses, crossing a pontoon bridge over a river. The bridge has a slatted timber roadway, supported... More
Three youthful German prisoners of 17 years resting on their way to th...
Three German prisoners of war, during World War I. The photograph focuses on three young-looking prisoners of war. Their clothes are caked in mud and are a mishmash of styles. The soldier on the left still has ... More
This speaks for itself, Flanders
Artillerymen and shells, Western Front, during World War I. Six men of the Royal Artillery, who can be identified by their grenade collar badges. They are sitting behind three very large shells, on each of whic... More
Signalling station, Flanders during World War I
To the left of the picture is a narrow short box structure made from pieces of scrap corrugated iron and blankets. There is an old armchair, writing table and desk sitting outside the structure. Two soldiers ar... More
Douglas Haig - Public domain portrait print
Photograph of the young Douglas Haig as an officer with the 7th Hussars...digital.nls.uk/74570250 ( http://digital.nls.uk/74570250 )
Captured German gun, Flanders during World War I
The front of the image is dominated by a pile of long, narrow straw baskets down in the bottom right corner. These would probably have held ammunition for safe transportation. To the left of this is a mound of ... More
In front of the main guard in Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden, Berlin, Germany, 1918. Part of Unter den Linden, a large main street in Berlin which held many of the important palaces and buildings of early twentieth-century Berlin. The crowds in this pho... More
General view of Marne valley, Flanders
This is a wide panoramic shot of the valley of the River Marne. It was vital for the Allies to hold the Marne valley, which acted as a line of defence for Paris. The German offensive in the spring of 1918 exten... More
Officer chatting with a French 'Poilu'
Two men standing in a muddy field. They are both wearing steel helmets, and long overcoats over their uniforms. The man on the right, smoking a cigarette, is carrying a rifle and a pack over his shoulder. Both ... More
Bridging a blown up bridge on the Somme, Flanders
Uniformed men, possibly Royal Engineers, attempt to make a badly damaged bridge traversable. They are tying ropes, which will probably serve as handrails, around the large wooden stays that form part of the fra... 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
Tommy washing in a shell hole, Flanders
A laughing young soldier who has clearly just washed his hair with the muddy water from a puddle that has collected in the bottom of a shell hole. The light hearted image does not show the reality that the wate... More
Spanish Officers inspecting a heap of captured German hand grenades, m...
Spanish officers inspect captured German weaponry, during World War I. Five officers are standing on ridges in a muddy field. Two are looking at the pool of water they are standing beside while two look off int... More
Infantry passing one of the new armoured cars on their way to the fron...
A tank pulling some sort of carriage, followed by a group of infantrymen. The strange, triangular-shaped canopy of netting on top of the tank is probably for camouflaging purposes...The soldiers in this photogr... More
Cyclists crossing Cologne during World War I
A detachment of troops with bicycles which they are wheeling, heavily laden with kit, through the streets of Cologne. Women and children are standing on the pavement watching them and waving white papers or clo... More
Flying Corps men lifting the body of a Boche plane which we brought do...
Five members of the British Flying Corps are lifting the body of a German fighter plane which has been shot down. The wing section is in the background. The plane has its identifying cross flanked by the letter... More
Collecting firewood, Flanders during World War I
This group of soldiers is standing in a wrecked wooden building, possibly an old farm steading. Two of the men in the foreground are chopping wood, whilst another, to the left, slices a morsel of food with a sm... More
Howitzer pounding the German lines, Flanders
In his famous poem about life and death on the Western Front, 'Anthem For Doomed Youth', Wilfred Owen writes about "the monstrous anger of the gun". This photograph reveals what Owen was trying to convey. With ... More
Wiring parties going up to the front line after heavy rain
A wiring party making their way along a very wet and muddy road. They are all wearing steel helmets and carrying rifles. Three of the men are rolling large rolls of wire along the road. Two of the men in the di... More
Types of Natives of Manipur - Public domain portrait print
Eight Manipur soldiers are lined up in two uneven rows across the front of the camera. Two of the soldiers on the left are smoking pipes and a soldier on the far right is wrapped in white cloth. Most of the sol... More
Near Peronne, Flanders during World War I
Soldiers and horses in the street. Three soldiers are standing around two horses, whilst another soldier is sitting on one of the horses. One of the soldiers is putting a cap on the horse's head. In the backgro... More
View of Wytschaete during World War I
Soldiers walking through a devastated landscape. All of the men are in uniform, and are carrying arms and equipment. A small group of soldiers, surrounded by rifles and packs, have paused for a rest. The entir... More
At a training school, Flanders - Public domain portrait print
A large group of soldiers at a training school, in France, during World War I. Some of the men nearer the front are holding weapons. The men in the distance merge to form a sea of faces. At the back of the grou... More
Setting his saw, Flanders during World War I
The photographer has managed to capture a rather quiet moment in the otherwise busy confines of a sawmill. According to the original caption, this lumberman, possibly a member of the Canadian Forestry Corps, is... More
Field kitchen and Tommies resting, Flanders
This photograph illustrates the saying that 'an army marches on its stomach'. The mobile field kitchen can be seen on the right of the image with its supply wagons. The two horses in the background suggest it w... More
Repairing one of our guns for use in the continued advance
Howitzer is suspended from a hoist having just been lifted off its wooden platform. Six soldiers are straining at a lever under one of its wheels while another two are hauling on the guide chains. ..The Battle ... More
German prisoners, Western Front, during World War I
In this photograph, an Allied soldier watches as German prisoners are escorted along a path beside the trench in which he is standing. Several of the prisoners are carrying a wounded man on a makeshift stretche... More
Artillery resting by the roadside, Flanders
A number of artillerymen have paused for a rest by the roadside. Unfortunately, the original caption does not say where on the Western Front this photograph was taken. The men in the foreground, reclining by th... More
Haig in uniform on joining the Hussars
Haig as a Hussar, Britain, 1885. A studio portrait of Douglas Haig as a young man of 23, in uniform after he had joined the 7th (Queen's Own) Hussars in February 1885. After attending Oxford University, he had... More
Captured German aeroplane, Flanders
A wingless German aeroplane is loaded on to a trailer and strapped down. It still has its original painted insignia and number. Two soldiers are standing behind the plane inspecting it. ..Scenes such as this we... More
Wreckage in a churchyard in Thilloy, near Bapaume, Flanders
Scene in Thilloy, France, during World War I. This image shows a churchyard in Thilloy, near Bapaume. It has been badly bombed or shelled. There is little left of the church itself. A few graves can be seen amo... More
Troops resting during the advance near Peronne, Flanders
Troops resting at Peronne, France, during World War I. Soldiers are all lying down or slouching against the bottom of a mound of rubble. They are all fully equipped and armed. Most of them appear to be asleep. ... More
Washing as Mother does it, Flanders
a soldier in his shirtsleeves, leaning over a makeshift tub filled with water. As he scrubs his clothes on a washboard, he is looking up at the camera and smiling. Existing in the squalor of the trenches, soldi... More
Prisoners coming in, Flanders during World War I
German prisoners, during World War I. German prisoners being taken. One of the soldiers escorting them is armed with a large rifle and bayonet. Despite the armed soldier, they appear to be walking through the f... 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
Mother reading to her son some kind messages from various friends
Wounded soldier lying in a hospital bed, with his leg in traction. He appears to have lost part of his other leg. The bottom legs of the bed have been placed on blocks to make them higher than the top. Accordin... More
Scene in Amiens near the Cathedral
A street in Amiens, France. A number of the buildings have been badly damaged by bombing or shelling. In fact one of the buildings on the right has been completely destroyed. There are mounds of rubble on both... More
Going off with a good feed of grass which they have just cut for their...
Soldiers gathering fodder, France, during World War I. Two soldiers, identified by their cap badges as men of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, have been cutting grass for their horses. One man is carrying a scy... More
Exhausted by its struggles to get out of a shell hole
Mule stuck in a shell hole, Western Front, during World War I. This photograph is one of two which show French soldiers trying to pull an exhausted mule out of the mud of a shell hole. The animal, still in its ... More
Twelve horse teams are used in taking ammunition over the heavy ground
A team of twelve horses pulling a four-wheeled cart or carriage, during World War I. The horses are harnessed in pairs, with one man guiding a horse from each pair...[Original reads: 'Twelve horse teams are use... More
Field Marshall Foch visits the King
This photograph shows the French commander, General Ferdinand Foch (1851-1929) on the left and two other French officers, waving as they walk towards the camera. Foch was appointed Allied Commander-in-Chief in ... 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
Showing the hole in the roof through which the first shell to strike t...
Shell-damaged roof of Amiens Cathedral, France, during World War I. The bomb damage to the roof of Amiens Cathedral, which was caused by German artillery fire. Looking closely at the damage one notes the large ... More
Bridge over the canal at Nesle which the Germans destroyed
Women salvaging chairs, Nesle, France, during World War I. The ruins of the canal bridge at Nesle with two elderly French women hurrying over a makeshift plank bridge. They are both carrying chairs, possibly sa... More
Scene in a front line trench during an actual gas attack
Three men standing in a trench, wearing gas masks. All three are in uniform and wearing steel helmets. The walls of the trench are high, and one man is perched, possibly on a ledge, enabling him to look over th... More
Nothing is wasted during World War I
Salvaged vehicle parts, Western Front, France, during World War I. A huge mound of salvaged vehicle parts is piled up in open countryside with woodland in the background. In the foreground, a man in uniform is ... More
Boche left neither line nor sleepers
Railway track, Moyenville, France, during World War I. A line of British soldiers climbing up the embankment where, according to the original caption, the Moyenville railway track had been removed by the German... More
Sorry it is empty, Flanders during World War I
Two soldiers with a rum jar. The man actually drinking can be seen, in close-up, to be focused on the photographer rather than the earthenware rum jar! ..The army had a daily rum ration of 1/2 gill, which must ... More
Troops clambering on to the roofs, buffers and foot-boards of railway ...
German demobilisation, Western Front, 1918. Scenes as German soldiers cling on to the roofs and doors of a train already full of other troops. The caption indicates that these were demobilised German troops des... More
American Engineers on the British front making a field oven in their c...
Uniformed men standing in a semi-circle. In front of them is a man, wearing the same uniform, building something out of stone or brick. He has a trowel in his hand and there is a pile of bricks or stones next t... More
Village churchyard gate in Northern France, Flanders
Sentry beside a ruined churchyard, Northern France, during World War I. In this photograph, a British sentry stands on guard beside two brick pillars from which hang the tangled remains of an iron gate. The cap... More
These tins are put in kilns and the solder extracted is of great value
Tin cans being stored for melting down, France, during World War I. The blurred can arcing across the middle of the viewers vision gives this scene an immediacy and sense of vitality. The two soldiers standing ... More
Machine gunners from an Irish Division, Flanders
At first glance this is a posed and formal group photograph. On further inspection, however, it becomes more of a parody of the traditional group photograph. A number of the men at the front of the group are we... More
Laying a railroad over newly captured ground, Flanders
A whole team of uniformed men laying a railroad. Most of them are walking along the sleepers, between the tracks. The track has been built on raised ground. This was probably in an effort to avoid the track bec... More
Types captured in the last push
Only one soldier is in focus at the front of the picture. He looks rather forlorn and hopeless. In the background other soldiers are milling about out of focus. The muddy ground and fences are visible...Despite... More
Tommies eating in a trench, Flanders
Soldiers is gathered in a small section of trench. In the foreground, one man slices a loaf of bread and another holds a container, possibly filled with soup or stew. Invariably, food arrived in the trenches da... More
View in the Grand Place, Bethune
Shell damage in the Grand Place, Bethune, France, during World War I. The severity of the damage that French towns near the front lines suffered from bombing and artillery fire. Not one of the buildings picture... More
Germans mined the road but our transport easily got round this difficu...
Despite the massive crater caused by a German mine in the middle of this road, the supply line still seems to be operating effectively. Although the road looks navigable, the ground underneath the light railway... More
Pilots in a R.A.F. squadron: an American, Canadian, New Zealander, Eng...
Multi-national pilots consulting a chart, France, during World War I. Five young airmen are leaning up against the tail of their plane, looking at a map which they have balanced on the tail. They are all wearin... More
Artillery stripped trees and a signboard pointing the way for pack tra...
The photographer has managed to produce, with careful use of composition and light, this startling and memorable image. The otherworldliness of this ravaged landscape, shrouded in clouds of dust or smoke, leave... More
Few of the American nurses in France
Nurses, stretching from one side of the photograph to the other, are milling around in front of the camera. They are all wearing long white dresses and neat square caps with their hair tied back except for two ... More
Heavy gun in action during World War I
Australian soldiers in action, Western Front, during World War I. This photograph of Australian troops shows four or five teams of horses racing towards a field gun. Each team consists of six horses pulling wha... More
Part of the church at Bethune during World War I
British soldier surveying the ruined church at Bethune, France, during World War I. Standing underneath a doorway, this lone British soldier looks upon the devastation wrought on the church at Bethune, in Picar... More
Natives of Manipur are greatly interested in the workings of a motor
A motorcar is parked to the left of the picture and is sitting with both sides of its bonnet open. There is a British soldier in the car, busy with the controls. Two Manipur soldiers are kneeling in front of th... More
Well advertised!, Flanders during World War I
A uniformed man looking at a price list and advertisement for a canteen. The sign has been made out of wooden slats and is fixed to a brick building. The advertisement on the right states 'STEP INSIDE! / AMERIC... More
Washing day on the banks of the Ypres-Comines Cana
Three soldiers hanging their clothes on a clothes line. Two lines have been strung up between trees or bushes. The three men are all in their shirtsleeves and are still wearing their steel helmets. The steel he... More
Transport going over a wooden road built round a mine crater
Two carts, each pulled by a team of six horses, are travelling along a hastily constructed road. The road has been built to allow passage through a heavily cratered area. For every two horses, there is one unif... More
Mascot of the Royal Scots, Flanders
A young soldier of the Royal Scots Regiment holding a black goat kid. As the French farmers were forced to flee their homes many animals were inevitably abandoned. Some undoubtedly ended up in the cooking pot, ... More
Building a road to their camp, Flanders
According to the original caption these men are building a road. On the right of the photograph, a group of men are breaking up rocks using pickaxes. The rocks are then being loaded onto carts. Most of the men ... More
Prime Minister of New Zealand examining a British machine
William Massey, Prime Minister of New Zealand, being shown a British biplane. Standing next to him, smoking a cigar, is Sir Joseph Ward, Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand. They are surrounded by a small grou... More
Ever resourceful Tommy, Flanders
Soldier collecting snow to melt for water, Western Front. In this photograph, a British soldier is shown filling a small mess tin with snow. The original caption explains that he was about to melt the snow to g... More
Athie Church partially destroyed by the Huns, Flanders
Athie Church after it had been bombed or shelled. All that appears to be left of the roof are the rafters. There is a large pile of rubble at the entrance to the church. Daylight can be seen through the door su... More
Machine-gun position which is holding the Germans
British machine-gun position, France, during World War I. There were at least 16 permanent appointments of official war photographers made after 1916. These positions were created in 1916 to gather propaganda i... More