Cavalry
(32) D.1290 - Some Cavalry Officers in rest after the Arras fighting
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| First World War 'Official Photographs' > Cavalry > (32) D.1290 - Some Cavalry Officers in rest after the Arras fighting |
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| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/74548094 |
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| Description | This photograph shows two off-duty cavalry officers resting and fishing after the fighting at the French town of Arras. Note the cavalry emblem on the jacket sleeve of the officer with his hands in his pocket, and the protective puttees (or leggings) both are wearing. As Arras is close to the northern part of the River Somme, it could be that this stream is a tributary of the Somme. The fighting at Arras formed part of the great Somme offensive. After a massive bombardment of the German frontline that lasted for eight days, the plan was for infantry to fight their way through the supposedly 'destroyed' German lines while supported by a creeping artillery barrage. Standing by to support the infantry were some cavalry divisions. Earl Haig's own background in cavalry meant that he wanted the cavalry to provide the attack with its finishing blow. However, when the generals saw the German machine-guns slaughtering the British infantry, they realised that it would be madness to use the cavalry. [Original reads: 'OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN ON THE BRITISH WESTERN FRONT. Some Cavalry Officers in rest after the Arras fighting.'] |
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| Description | Photographs depicting cavalry. |
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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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