Photographers > Ernest Brooks
(350) C.723 - Men of a West Indian Regt. watching a Bosche aeroplane being chased by our planes
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| First World War 'Official Photographs' > Photographers > Ernest Brooks > (350) C.723 - Men of a West Indian Regt. watching a Bosche aeroplane being chased by our planes |
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| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/74546776 |
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| Description | West Indian regiment in their camp, France, during World War I. Half a dozen soldiers are standing in a group in the space between their tents. The tents are canvas cones, most of which have their sides rolled up suggesting that the weather is warm and there is no mud in evidence. Most of their equipment is lying on the ground outside of their tents. The soldiers are all in uniform and looking at the sky. Some of them are shading their eyes with their hats. The derogatory term for a German, 'Boche', originates from the French slang alboche, derived from two words allemand (German) and caboche (pate, head). 16,000 soldiers were recruited and two battalions (volunteers) travelled from the West Indies to fight with the Allies. [Original reads: 'OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN ON THE FRONT IN FRANCE - Men of a West Indian Regt. watching a Bosche aeroplane being chased by our planes.'] |
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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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