Trenches Collection (#42)

British bombing party clear trenches near Roeux
" Forward the Bombers!" - British bombing party clear Germans from their trenches near Roeux. The attacks on the village of Roeux were part of the Battle of Arras (9th April - 17th May 1917)

Cartoon, German Culture, after Ardnt, WW1
Cartoon, German Culture, after Ardnt, showing Germans in various satirical scenes, with idealistic captions about the superiority of their nation and people. Date: 1915

Bruce Bairnsfather, The Professional Instinct Again
Captain Bruce Bairnsfather, WW1 cartoon, The Professional Instinct Again, published in The Bystander, 1916. A juggler in civilian life practises with hand grenades. Date: 1916

WWI Poster, Feed a Fighter
Design by W. Morgan, Feed a Fighter. Eat only what you need -- Waste nothing -- That he and his family may have enough. United States Food Administration poster

Entanglements, by Bairnsfather
Entanglements " Come on, Bert, its safer in the trenches" A cartoon by Captain Bruce Bairnsfather (with apologies to Raphael Kirchner) in The Bystander

Those Tubular Trenches, by Bairnsfather
Those Tubular Trenches " Is this right for eadquarters?" " Yes, change at Oxford Circus" A cartoon by Captain Bruce Bairnsfather in The Bystander 1916

We Look Before -, by Bairnsfather
We Look Before - - And after A cartoon by Captain Bruce Bairnsfather in The Bystander 1916

BELTRAME, Achille (1871-1945). Second Boer War. 1899-1902. The Boers defended in trenches along the Tugela river during the British offensive of 1900. Engraving

WWI. Les tranch饳blanches (white trenches)
WWI. Les tranch饳 blanches (white trenches), 1917. Illustration by Georges Paul Leroux (1877-1957). Trenches of the French army in Champagne. Drawing

Baldwins knitting leaflet, WW1, winter at the front
Field & Hospital Comforts in Knitting and Crochet. Great War knitting booklet published by J & J Baldwins of Halifax featuring two British soldiers in a snowy trench on the Western Front

No Joke! by Captain Bruce Bairnsfather post- WW1 cartoon
The Censor has been most kind to me throughout the war. I have made the above drawing simply out of gratitude. I have also omitted the joke, thus ensuring complete approval

C3 (crossed out) CC, The Last Man by Bruce Bairnsfather
The silhouette of Charlie Chaplin appears on the horizon on the Western Front, watched in awe by two British soldiers on the Western Front. Date: 1918

Through Mud to Victory by Bruce Bairnsfather, WW1 cartoon
Private 90045 Gerrard, after three-quarters of a mile of this, sincerely hopes it won t be a dud. A private British soldier struggles through the mud

A bulldog mascot of a Canadian regiment in France
Gibby, a massive bulldog, poses in a trench beside the commanding officer of a Canadian regiment in France. The dog was badly gassed several times but still continued to go into action with his men

Illustrated War News - Canadians on the Western Front
Front cover of The Illustrated War News featuring a photograph of Canadian soldiers having their lunch in a trench on the Western Front. Date: 1916

Illustrated War News - British soldier in captured dug-out
Front cover of The Illustrated War News featuring a photograph of a British soldier posing inside the entrance of a captured German dug-out. Date: 1916

Feeding troops in French trenches, WW1
Feeding the troops in the French trenches - a soldier brings up a donkey carrying supplies near Lihons. Date: 1918

British dug-out interior, WW1
A sketch of a dug-out billet behind the lines showing an officer comfortably curled up under the curved corrugated iron roof which forms the main structure of the dug-out

Advert for Turnbull & Asser, combined poncho & ground-sheet
The untearable combination poncho and ground-sheet. Light in weight, yet strong and thoroughly waterproof, the fabric does not tear, is durable, and yields long service. 1916

Sphere cover - British infantry waiting in trench to attack
Front cover of The Sphere with a photograph showing British infantry in a support trench waiting to attack during the preliminary bombardment preceding the attack on 1 July 1916

His Christmas Gift to Her by Fred Pegram, WW1
Illustration by Fred Pegram depicting a British officer in a dug-out somewhere on the Western Front, carefully crafting a ring by the light of a candle as he smokes a pipe

French officers in an underground shelter, WW1
French officers dining in an elaborately constructed underground shelter on the Western Front, somewhere in Northern France in the winter of 1915/16

French trench artillery in action by Matania, WW1
French gunners firing mortars and trench guns across " No Mans Land" to the German positions. The French used special artillery for use in the trenches

Sphere cover - His Xmas letter from the trenches, Matania
Front cover of The Sphere featuring an illustration by Fortunino Matania of a British soldier writing a letter home to his family at Christmas

Distribution of cigarettes at the front, WW1
A battery commander distributing the contents of a parcel of cigarettes amongst his men at the Front at Christmas time. According to The Sphere

Watch me make a fire-bucket of is elmet
Two British soldiers have a couple minutes to practise shooting

Soldier returning home from the trenches, WW1
A soldier returning home from the trenches, greeted at the door of his house by his wife and son. Date: 1916

WW1 cartoon - the water logged Western Front
Illustration originally reproduced in the trench newspaper, The Gasper, featuring soldiers wading waist deep through a water-logged landscape on the Western Front

A Misinterpretation by C. Frampton, WW1 cartoon
A potentially disastrous case of Chinese Whispers in a front line trench. A message of Sedn reinforcements - we are about to advance, changes to, Send three and fourpence - we are going to a dance

Made in the Trenches, Arf a Mo Kaiser, WW1 charity book
Front cover of Made in the Trenches, a book published to raise money for the Star and Garter Fund in aid of disabled soldiers and sailors during the war

Mens Wear during WW1, August and February by J. H. Thorpe
The contrast in clothing worn by British soldiers in the trenches in August and in February. The soldier on the left wears the familiar khaki tunic, breeches and puttees

Oxo advertisement with trench scene, WW1
Advertisement for Oxo, for men at the Front and in training, with an excellent accompanying picture illustrating the grim conditions borne by soldiers in the trenches

Music in the trenches
An impromptu musical performance by French soldiers in their trench. The instruments shown are a drum, a metal cooking pot, a flute and a self-made violin. Date: 1915

A Hint to Speculators, trench humour, WW1
" Joe, as it ever struck you that this would be one of the places where Tubes would pay?" Two Tommies wading through a water-logged trench ruminate on the advantages of an underground

WW1 Recruitment Poster -- A Resolution
Recruitment poster, printed by A Thom and Company, Dublin. A Resolution passed in the Trenches. By an Irish Regiment (2nd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment)

French soldier fights off German attack, Craonne
An incident on the Western Front north of Craonne depicted by Paul Thiriat on the Front cover of The Graphic. A few French soldiers were working in a boyau or communication trench when they were

The Indian army corps in France during World War I
Various sketches by a British soldier depicting Indian army corps in France during the First World War. Scenes include: Pathan pipers in a French town, the Dogras trophy, life in the trenches

Indian troops smoking in the trenches during World War I
Sikhs and Hindus in the trenches take turns at drawing tobacco-smoke through a straw. Date: 1915

British messenger dog, WW1
Messenger dog, Nell. This dog worked with the British Army throughout the war, delivering messages between trenches and headquarters

Indian army in the trenches of Mesopotamia during WWI. Date: 1918

British Military Poster, WW1
Back Him Up. Buy War Bonds. Poster after artist Frank Brangwyn, 1917 (c). British soldier bayonetting a German. Date: 1917

Knitting humour, WW1
The Sentimentalist (who has received socks from England). " She loves me; she loves me not. A British soldier, on receiving a pair of badly made socks from a sweetheart in England proceeds to

German soldiers ready to through hand grenade
German soldiers looking through loopholes behind their trenches, waiting for the right moment to through their hand-grenades. Date: 1917

A soldier asks for directions, London, WW1
A British Tommy, returned on leave from the trenches, asks a police officer for directions in London. Another soldier, on crutches, stands nearby. Date: 1914

British troops arrive from the trenches at Waterloo Station
Troops just arrived at Waterloo Station from the trenches buying tickets at the booking office for travel to their suburban homes. A typical scene at London train stations during the First World War

Digging A. R. P. shelters in Kensington Gardens, 1938
Air Raid Precautions (A.R.P.) volunteers digging trenches and shelters in Kensington Gardens, London, on 26th September 1938, watched by an interested crowd. A.R.P

Its coming! Gas attack 1917
The alert has just been given, by means of a shell-going that a German gas wave has been let loose, and is approaching the trenches

Prominent personalities serving in Gallipoli, WW1
Notable members of society serving in the Dardanelles. Top left is the Marquis of Tullibardine, eldest son and heir of the Duke of Atholl (later the 8th Duke of Atholl 1871-1942)

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"Trenches: A Glimpse into the Harsh Realities of War" Step back in time to witness the haunting scenes etched in history. The trenches, a symbol of sacrifice and suffering, hold stories that echo through generations. From the Attack of the Ulster Division on 1 July 1916, captured by James Prinsep Beadle's lens, to the Battle of the Somme in 1918, these images transport us to an era where bravery clashed with devastation. Amidst the chaos and bloodshed, there were moments that defied all odds. The Christmas Truce of 1914 stands as a testament to humanity's resilience even amidst war's darkest hours. Soldiers from opposing sides laid down their weapons for a brief respite from battle - a poignant reminder that compassion can transcend boundaries. The photographs vividly capture soldiers entrenched in their positions during World War I. British First Airborne dug deep at Arnhem during World War II while Rifle Brigade held steadfast on Western Front during WWI. Australian troops found solace within their trench near Armentieres, France - each face reflecting determination mixed with weariness. Above these muddy fortifications soared aerial combatants engaged in fierce battles over enemy lines; planes dueling against gravity and fate itself. Meanwhile, British Mark IV tanks equipped with Tadpole Tails trudged through treacherous terrain - symbols of technological advancement amid destruction. In one breathtaking moment frozen forever by lenses capturing history's essence – Coldstreamers charging valiantly on the Somme battlefield – we glimpse courage personified. Yet not all they were defensive havens; some became launching pads for daring attacks like those carried out by German forces during WWI. These snapshots serve as reminders that even within seemingly impenetrable barriers lie both defenders and aggressors alike. As we reflect upon these glimpses into our past, let us honor those who endured the horrors of trench warfare.