"Previously unseen photographs from First World War" Topic

From 'The Independent' newspaper today :-

A treasure trove of First World War photographs was discovered recently in France. Published here for the first time, they show British soldiers on their way to the Somme. But who took them? And who were these Tommies marching off to die?

link

A poignant and fascinating collection. I'm glad that they were saved after having been thrown into the trash.

Did any sheepskins see combat?

A great cultural find but hardly "The unseen photographs that throw new light on the First World War"

New light? What is that? I enjoyed looking at the pictures, but sadly wondered how many of those people ever got home after the war.

I was surprised by the number of cavalry troopers, many mounted. Were all those with bandoliers of ammo from cavalry units? I did not expect to see ANZAC types. So many standing by empty chairs, is that a reference to a fallen comrade. The women are dressed so drably -- have they lost loved ones in the war. Some of the women are attractive even by contemporary standards, but in full length dresses and high button shoes. The Scotties show more skin than any woman :)

Only a couple of the photos showed weapons. Recall pictures of the US Civil War with many folks armed to the teeth. The uniforms were so plain, no rank markings for the enlisted men, although I did see one sargeant.

Thanks much for posting the link.

Thanks for the link. I collect PPCs of the the British Army before and during the Great War, so this was of particular interest.

A bit of hyperbole on the writer's part, however, to imply that these have anything new to tell us. Photos from France are not as common as those from the UK, but still hardly scarce. The brief selection they posted in the article had some interesting images, but nothing earthshaking. The black Tommy would be a rarity, as would a genuine pic of man in the 15th (S) Battalion, The Highland Light Infantry (Glasgow Tramways Battalion). What they have is a pic of a man in the 9th (Glasgow Highlander) Battalion, HLI.

Bob, the cavalry pattern bandoliers were worn by anyone on mounted duty. Besides cavalry, this meant an infantry battalion's transport section, and any drivers or mounted personnel in the Arms and Services (RFA, RGA, RE, ASC, etc.). It's interesting to see the drivers in the photos wearing leg guards; in posed photos one usually only sees spurs and puttees tied cavalry fashion.

The women are dressed so drably -- have they lost loved ones in the war. Some of the women are attractive even by contemporary standards, but in full length dresses and high button shoes. The Scotties show more skin than any woman :)

Short skirts are all very well for city women in warm houses, but not very practical on a farm when the men are away, too cold in winter, and anyway frowned on in a conservative society. (Clearly it is winter from the coats of the men and the lack of leaves.)

The drab is hard to tell in a black and white photo. But I imagine these women had nice "Sunday best".

Quote:

"Only a couple of the photos showed weapons. Recall pictures of the US Civil War with many folks armed to the teeth. The uniforms were so plain, no rank markings for the enlisted men, although I did see one sargeant."

One point on ACW images. The majority of those "armed to the teeth" images are taken in studios, and with the weapons and acoutrements supplied (for the most part) by the photographer.

Rarely were soldiers allowed to take their arms and accoutrements with them into town, or anywhere else when not on duty. This is one reason to take ACW images with a grain of salt when looking at the weapons and equipments with the soldier. Without context, such as regimental records to back up the image, there's no way to tell if the arms and equipment worn are those actually used by the soldier, or photographer's props.