Photographers > Ernest Brooks
(229) C.1809 - Huge bell in a German support trench
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| First World War 'Official Photographs' > Photographers > Ernest Brooks > (229) C.1809 - Huge bell in a German support trench |
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| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/74545950 |
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| Description | Church bell in a German trench, Messines Ridge, Belgium, 1917. The image is dominated by and intricately carved and inscribed church bell. The bell is lying in the bottom of a muddy trench. The trench is a scene of devastation and chaos. This photograph was taken after the Battle of Messines Ridge (June 1917), commanded by General Plumer (1857-1932), was a successful relief of German pressure on the French Army. The Battle of Messines Ridge was won by the Allies. British soldiers dug under the German's trenches and blew them up with TNT. [Original reads: ' GREAT BATTLE OF MESSINES RIDGE. Huge bell in a German support trench. There is no village church within miles.'] |
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| Description | Ernest Brooks was the first British official war photographer to be assigned to the Western Front in 1916. Previously a 'Daily Mirror' photographer, he was given the honorary rank of Second Lieutenant. His remit was to take as many photographs as possible, with as much variety as possible. Using his inconspicuous hand-held camera Brooks was free to wander, sometimes capturing his subjects unawares. Many of the images taken by Brooks were used to fuel the propaganda machine at home and abroad. Despite this Brooks, who was very aware of composition and light, produced some very artistic and thought-provoking images. |
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| Description | Photographs by named photographers. |
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| Description | Black-and-white photographs mainly of the Western Front during the First World War. Official British war photographers took many of them for propaganda purposes. Unless otherwise stated, titles are the photographs' original captions. From the papers of Field Marshal (Earl) Haig (1861-1928). The Haig Papers also contain Douglas Haig’s diaries. |
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| Shelfmark | Acc.3155 |
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