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Havoc caused by our guns at Serre, Flanders
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The devastated remains of a factory. The damage was most likely caused by shellfire. Unfortunately the original caption does not tell us exactly what this building once housed. It does, however, admit that the damage was caused by 'our' guns meaning British guns. This was unusual at a time when the propaganda machine set in motion by the authorities blamed all damage on enemy gun fire. ..The attack on Serre (1st July 1916), marked the beginning of the Somme Offensive. After a week long bombardment of the German front line, British soldiers were sent over-the-top to make their way towards the German trenches. Rather than preparing the way for them, however, the artillery bombardment merely alerted the well-entrenched Germans to the imminent attack. As such they were able to open fire upon the men as they walked across no-man's-land. It is estimated that on the first day alone around 19,000 British men were killed and almost 40,000 wounded...[Original reads: 'OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN ON THE FRONT IN FRANCE. Havoc caused by our guns at Serre.']..digital.nls.uk/74548344 ( http://digital.nls.uk/74548344 )
World War I (WWI or WW1), also known as the First World War, or the Great War, was a global war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. World War I Images From National Library of Schotland. These photographs form part of the papers of Field Marshal (Earl) Haig (1861-1928), held by the National Library of Scotland. More information is available from the Library's Digital Archive. Like many World War I generals, Haig remains a controversial figure. The collection contains diaries, papers and photographs from every part of Haig’s career, the Great War diaries being of special importance to historians. Photographs in the "Official Photographs" series (which were destined for publication and have captions on the back describing the image) are in black-and-white. World War I saw the development of a system of 'official’ reporting by professionals especially recruited into the forces. Initially reluctant to allow cameras near the fighting, it took some time for the authorities to appreciate the propaganda and recording potential of photography. These photographs provide us with an invaluable record of how the Government and Military wanted the war perceived. Official photographers were encouraged to record morale-boosting scenes of victory and comradeship. Despite the restrictions placed on them, official war photographers succeeded in giving the most comprehensive visual account of the war. It is important to remember that these images were propaganda; few that could depict the war in a disheartening or disconcerting way passed the censors. As a result the photograph taken was often posed. They were intended to reassure those at home and boost morale. They were printed in newspapers, and were intended to confirm that 'Tommy' was winning the war.
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