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Trenches at La Boutillerie, forward of Fleurbaix, WW1
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Trenches at La Boutillerie, forward of Fleurbaix, WW1
By the light of the flare. My first impression of the trenches, at La Boutillerie, forward of Fleurbaix, Jan.15. The front line consisted of separate trenches of primitive construction without any communication. Bosche flares cast a ghastly glare over all. Enemy lines are seen in front of the distant trees. Annotated on back of picture - La Boutillerie, Fleurbaix sector. An impression actually painted in the trenches on the night of 15 January gives a good idea of how the flares sent up by the Germans lit up the country around. By Lieutenant Major John Empson Tindall, MC (b.1885). He joined the Royal Engineers as a Lieutenant and rose to the rank of Captain in the 1st Home Counties Field Company, Royal Engineers (later the 490th Field Company, Royal Engineers), 8th Division, BEF and then became Major commanding the 505th (Wessex) Field Company, 57th Division, BEF. Date: 1915
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Media ID 23034618
© David Cohen Fine Art/Mary Evans Picture Library
490th Commanding Counties Division Empson Enemy Engineers Flare Flares Forward Germans Ghastly Glare Impression Lieut Lieutenant Lighting Lines Major Primitive Rank Tindall Trench Trenches
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative photograph captures the haunting scene of the trenches at La Boutillerie, forward of Fleurbaix, during the early days of the Western Front in World War I. Taken by Lieutenant Major John Empson Tindall, MC, on January 15, 1915, the image offers a chilling firsthand account of the primitive trench system and the eerie effect of enemy flares. The front line was composed of separate trenches, with no means of communication between them. The ghastly glare of the German flares cast an eerie light over the rural countryside, illuminating the enemy lines in the distance. Annotated on the back of the print, the location is identified as La Boutillerie, Fleurbaix sector. Lieutenant Major Tindall, who joined the Royal Engineers as a Lieutenant and rose through the ranks to become Major commanding the 505th (Wessex) Field Company, 57th Division, BEF, painted this impression in the trenches on the night of January 15. His account provides a vivid description of how the flares sent up by the Germans lit up the surrounding area. The image serves as a poignant reminder of the harsh conditions and constant danger faced by soldiers during this pivotal period in history.
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