WWI Photo Gallery ***Warning, may contain graphic images of dead***

[cyberia]

A French soldier is hit during an assault
Edited-by sniper1shot

One of the most famous pictures of Verdun: a French soldier hit during an attack. But the picture is not true. It is a still, taken from a French movie made in 1927-1928.

Many WW1-books feature this photograph and mention that is was taken by a German photographer. In fact, this website did so too — we are indebted to Eric Gambert from France who showed us how wrong we were.

The movie, entitled Verdun, visions d’Histoire, was made by Léon Poirier who, during the Great War, himself served in a French artillery division. To increase the authenticity of the reenactment, Poirier used French and German veterans to play the roles of the soldiers.

Many scenes were filmed on former battlefields near Verdun. In one scene a pacifist intellectual dies in a shell hole - a real one, as the moviemakers found here the remains of a human arm with a ID tag, on which they could just make out: "Fulle... 1916".

The dramatic picture above was extracted from a movie frame, and reproduced in an advertising booklet published by Jules Tallandier at the same time the movie came out.


A solider looks over a bomb damaged cathedral, date and location unknown



A German solider dead on the wire



The remains of an Italian artilleryman

[cyberia]

Sepia tone of a battlefield, date and location unknown



Shells hitting a German artillery position


French troops removing casualties after a trench raid


An Allied and German solider share a smoke

[Geek44]

As far as I know, the sepia one at the top is usually said to be of The Somme.

[Geek44]

Wow...it all looks like such fun. Shall we do it again in maybe 19 years? Same time, same place?

[cyberia]

Originally Posted by Geek44

As far as I know, the sepia one at the top is usually said to be of The Somme.

Thanks Nick, I had no clue but it was too good a shot not to include it.

[Jim O]

Photos of the Battle of the Somme (Somme Offensive):

Cheshire_Regiment_trench_Somme_1916.jpg
Men of the 11th Battalion, the Cheshire Regiment, near La Boisselle, July 1916.


Newfoundland_soldiers_1916.jpg
Newfoundland soldiers in support trench, July 1, 1916.


Hawthorn_Ridge_mine_1_July_1916.jpg
Explosion of the Hawthorn Ridge mine, 7:20 AM, 1 July, 1916.


trench2.jpg
British Troops Going Over the Top, First Day of the Somme, 1916.

[Jim O]

More photos from the Somme:

haig.jpg
Lt. Gen. Sir Douglas Haig, Mastermind of the Somme Offensive


somme1.jpg
British Troops on the way to the Somme Front, 1916


trench3.jpg
British Machine Gun Crew in Phosgene Helmets


somme2.jpg
Tending to the Wounded on the Somme Front, 1916

[Jim O]

mortar.jpg
A Stokes Gun, 3 inch mortar in action


trench5.jpg
British Troops at Ypres, 1917


gas.jpg
Troops in Gas Masks on the Front Lines


ypres2.jpg
A Ruined Belgian Town outside Ypres

[Jim O]

Originally Posted by cyberia

A solider looks over a bomb damaged cathedral, date and location unknown

That is the ruins of Saint Martin's Cathedral (originally built in 1221) in Ypres, Belgium as seen from the Cloth Hall. The Cloth Hall was a medieval structure (completed in 1304 after many years of construction) that housed the cloth trade and was also extensively damaged. The photo was made by Frank Hurley, a famous Australian photographer. See KODAK: The Endurance-Frank Hurley Biography.

Ypres_Belgium_NGM-v31-p337-B.jpg

The cathedral is near the top left, the Cloth Hall below it on the right. It evidently suffered further damage after this photo was made.

Today the Cloth Hall has been repaired and houses exhibits on the first floor and the In Flanders Fields Museum on the second floor.

[sniper1shot]

Great photos. Are these in your private collections or do the photos come from other sources?
I am looking for The RCR in battle, photos.