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Ypres Cathedral in Ruins, British Lory in Foreground
1914
Keystone View Company
The battered ruins of the Cathedral of St. Martin's in Ypres, Belgium from German artillery fire. Its conspicuous height made it a target.
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Shell Bursting in the Grand' Place, Ypres, Belgium
An explosion goes off in the central plaza of destroyed Ypres, Belgium, surrounded by ruins of crumbling buildings.
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Trenches Bitterly Contested in Battle in Once Peaceful Village near Ypres
A deep trench runs through the village of Ypres amongst the battered and crumbling houses.
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Creeping on the Enemy Over the Sand Dumes, British Contingent in Belgium
Allied soldiers take advantage of natural cover provided by brush growing on sand dunes in coastal Belgium.
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British Royal Engineers Constructing Second Line Trenches in Flanders
British Royal Engineers, who were part of the army troops, dig trenches outside of Flanders, Belgium.
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"And the Trench Was a Reeking Shambles," German Dead in the La Bassee Area.
German soldiers lie dead and dying behind a trench in La Basse, part of the Battle of Flanders.
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Strong Concrete German Position and Victims after the Battle of Menin Road
1917
Dead German soldiers lie behind the damaged fortification of a trench in Flanders, Belgium at the Battle of Menin Road.
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British Soldiers Gleaning in the Fields of War, Menin Road.
A British soldier uses a long plank to move a piece of wood aside on a ravaged battlefield at Menin Road, likely to pick up a valuable left behind by a fallen German.
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Where Hell Was Loosed; War's Indescribable Desolation and Unburied Victims, Lens.
A desolate, ravaged battlefield with the bodies of dead soldiers in Lens, France.
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No Man's Land near Lens, France.
A scene of torn up countryside, dead soldiers, and destroyed trees outside of Lens, France.
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A Family Living in Their Ruined House Lens
1914-1918
A woman and a young boy stand amongst the ruins of their home in Lens, a city in northern France that was occupied by the Germans for most of the war. Just behind them is an entrance to the basement of their home, where they are still living.
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Temporary Homes in Devestated Lens, Long Occupied by the Germans, France
1918
Two families stand amongst the hastily constructed homes where they now live after returning to the city of Lens, in Northern France, occupied by Germans for most of the war.
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Proud Men of the North Who Fought on Flander's Fields.
Two dead Scottish soldiers lie on the battlefield.
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"Down in a Shell Crater, We Fought Like Kilkeeny Cats"--Battle of Cambrai.
Four German soldiers in a trench at the end of the Battle of Cambrai. In the background is the ruins of a tank, which were used for the first time on a large scale during this battle.
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Steel-helmeted Scots Entrenched and Cheerily Awaiting a Counterattack
A line of Scottish soldiers man a trench waiting for battle.
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Turks Eager for War--Germany's Most Distant Ally Mobilizing Her Army.
A parade of Turks (possibly soldiers) march through the streets holding flags.
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Historic First Landing of Allied Troops at Dardanelles.
1915
A fleet of boats bringing British soldiers to storm the beaches of Turkey in an ultimately unsuccesful attempt to re-open the Dardanelles. This would have once again allowed the transportation of food and munitions between Russia and Great Britain.
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West Beach, Gallipoli, Scene of British Landing and of Terrible Battles
A beach at Gallipoli swarmed with British troops and supplies, where began a months long attempt to drive the Turkish forces further into Turkey. The campaign resulted ultimately a Turkish victory and huge casualties on both sides.
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Serbian Reserves in the Balkan Mountains Awaiting Orders to Advance
A division of Serbian Reserves stands ready for battle against a backdrop of mountains.
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Serbian Cavalry Ready for Battle on the Balkan Plains
A group of Serbian Calvary soldiers on horseback, ready to battle invading Austrian and German forces on the Balkan Plains.
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Great Naval Gun and its Protecting Fort of Sand Bags on the Saloniki Front
A heavy fortification of sandbags protecting one of the naval guns the British placed in Thessaloniki, Greece, for long distance bombardments.
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British Anti-Aircraft Gun in Action on Balkan Front, Camouflaged and Mounted on Auto.
A British gun crew on the Balkan front maneuver their anti-aircraft gun from within a screened trench.
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In a British First Line Trench in the Balkans
Two British soldiers in a trench in the Balkans, near the end of the war. One is using a periscope to observe enemy lines, while the other stands by his machine gun.
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No Man's Land, Sea of Barbed Wire in Front of Bulgarian Lines, Saloniki Front.
A countryside of "no man's land" covered in barbed wire on the Thessaloniki, Greece front.
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Rifle Grenade in a British First Line Trench in the Balkans.
A British soldier in a trench in the Balkans mans a rifle grenade to shoot explosives at a large range while remaining safe.
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Serbian Trench -- Awaiting Phone Call from Listening Pcst to Fire Rocket for Illuminating "No Man's Land."
Serbian soldiers wait in a hidden shelter for a call from a sentinel. When he calls, they will fire a rocket to illuminate potentially advancing enemy troops.
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Loading a Trench Mortar in a Hillside Dugout on the Serbian Front.
A soldier loads a mortar in a hillside trench while two others look on.
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View in a Trench Kitchen Underground on the Salonika Front.
Three French soldiers preparing soup in a protected underground trench kitchen on the Thessaloniki Front in Greece.
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A Serbian Rest Camp Back of Front Line Trenches in the Balkans.
A view of a Serbian army camp away from the front lines where men would be sent for a break from the constant destruction, death, and gunfire. Several men are seen smoking pipes.
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View from Stage of a Serbian Army Audience in an Outdoor Theater at the Front -- Prompter in the Foreground.
View from the stage as Serbian soldiers watch their fellow men perform plays for the rest of the army during a rare moment of downtime. In the foreground, a concealed prompter feeds them their lines, and in the front row, men play instruments to...
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Modern Cliff Dwellers -- A Regimental Headquarters Back of Serbian Front.
Headquarters of a Serbian troop, comprised of ramshackle houses built into the cliffs with planks and stones. There is laundry hanging on clotheslines.
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Water Front of Trieste, the Prize Taken by Italy from Austria
Many people walk along the waterfront in Trieste, a city that Italy reclaimed from Austria after the end of World War I. They are all dressed in black, except for a small child in the foreground dressed in white and holding her mother's hand.
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Mount Grappa and Ruins of Quero, on the Italian Battle Front.
Soldiers and civilians in the foreground look over the ruins of Quero, a village on the Italian front. In the background is Mount Grappa, part of the Alps separating Italy and Austria.
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How Italian Guns are Carried Up the Steep, Narrow Paths of the Alpine Front.
Italian soldiers stand surrounding mules. The mule in the foreground has the barrel of a gun attached to his back. The mule behind him has the carriage of the gun. The Alps can be seen in the background.
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Watching an Airplane Combat over the Italian Lines.
Italian civilians and soldiers look up, watching a battle take place in the sky. In the background there are buildings, trees, and mountains.
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Camp of Italian Outpost on Steep Alpine Slope.
A small group of tents are set up on a steep, craggy Alpine mountainside covered in trees and snow. A few soldiers are seen sitting or standing outside their tents.
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Fire Spray Captured from the Austrians in the District of Capitello in Italy.
A soldier stands in front of a background of destroyed forest, fitted with a fire spray weapon on his back.
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Looking E. on Italian Font. Foreground, Italian Trenches of Resistance Built after Territory Was Won from Enemy.
A soldier is concealed in a concrete machine gun trench with hinged iron portholes in a field. These trenches were constructed by the Italians in the Vallone ridge.
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British Battle Cruiser Indomitable, Which Sunk the German Battle Cruiser Bluecher.
The British battle cruiser "Indomitable" at a harbor. This ship sunk the German battle cruiser "Blucher" at the Battle of Dogger Bank on January 24th, 1915.
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Trophies of War -- German Torpedo from S. S. "Emden" and Floating Mines, London.
A torpedo from the German S.S. Emden, an infamous commerce destroyer ship commanded by Capt. Von Mueller, on display at a war exposition in London.
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Light Railway and Hillside Dugouts near La Harazee, Argonne, Forest.
A view of houses built into a hillside and horses pulling supply carts along the light railway in La Harazee, a small hamlet on the edge of the Argonne Forest in France.
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A French Relief Column of Algerian Zouaves in Forest of Argonne.
Zouaves were soldiers from France's colonies in North Africa. These Zouaves from Algeria are gathered in a long line on a road in the Argonne Forest, France.
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French Gunners Charging Huge 270 mm. (Howitzer) in Forest of Argonne.
A French three-man gun crew prepares and loads a 270 mm. Howitzer gun in the Argonne Forest, France.
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"And They Did Not Pass" -- Main Entrance and Gate into City of Verdun, France.
A view over the river of the main fortressed entrance to the city of Verdun, France. Beyond the gate, there are buildings and cathedral steeples visible.
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The Cathedral and Notre Dame, Verdun, and Ruins Extending Down to the Banks of the Meuse.
Crumbling ruins of buildings in Verdun, France seem to fall into the Meuse River. In the background, the steeples of the Cathedral of Verdun rise above the city.
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French Troops and Transport on "The Sacred Road," During the Battle of Verdun, 1916.
In the foreground, French troops sit amongst supplies. In the background, a long, winding highway stretching out over the valley. Ranks of troops can also be seen in the middle ground of the valley.
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Poilus Peparing Barbed Wire for Front Line -- Lempire, Meuse, France.
French soldiers weave steel to create barbed wire coils, which will be transported to troops at the battles of Verdun and Meuse-Argonne.
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A Village Reduced to Debris near Verdun, France.
A view of the ruins of completely destroyed buildings in a village outside of Verdun, France.
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A Battery of the Famous 270 Mortars (Howitsers), Mt. St. Eloi.
May 15, 1917
A Howitzer gun is positioned amongst the trees in a forest in France. Two soldiers stand nearby.
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Entrenched Highlanders on the Lookout Using Mirror Periscope.
Two Scottish soldiers in a trench use a periscope to look out into No Man's Land above. There is a horn nearby, which is used to warn their fellow troops in the case of a gas attack.
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President Pointcare and Marshall Joffre Visiting Officers' Quarters on the Somme Front.
President Raymond Poincare and Marshall Joseph Joffre visit the Officers' Quarters at the Somme camp. In the center, President Poincare and an aide are in conversation. Marshall Joffre, the Commander-in-Chief of the French forces during World War I...
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Tatoi Trenches in the Croisettes Wood Showing Officers in Consultation Just Half an Hour Before the Attack on the Somme Line.
1916
A group of officers discusses military plans shortly before carrying out the first attack of the Battle of the Somme on July 1, 1916.
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Serving Food from a Movable Kitchen in Ruined Curlu on the Somme.
French soldiers on the Somme front in France eat soup served from a movable kitchen. In the background, there are damaged buildings.
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Ruins of Famous Church at Albert, France.
A view of the partially ruined brick Church of Notre Dame de Brebieres at Albert, France. The village was only a few miles north of the Somme River. In the foreground, there are large piles of collapsed bricks.
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Ruined Villae of Eclusiers, France. M'lle Semmer Decorated for Heroic Actions under Fire.
Two soldiers stand on either side of Mademoiselle Marcelle Semmer, a young woman from Eclusiers, a village on the Somme. She was honored with the Cross of the Legion of Honor and the War Cross for putting herself at risk to air the French war effort.
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The World Renowned Cathedral at Reims, France, Ruined by the Germans.
A view of the buttresses and steeples of the Cathedral of Reims, which was shelled by German troops as they left the city. The cathedral was used as a hospital during wartime.
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Ruins of Once Magnificent Reims, France.
A landscape of destroyed buildings and bare frames of houses in Reims, France.
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"The Dogs of War Let Loose Are Howling" -- French 320's in Action, near Reims.
A row of four French railroad guns used to defend the city of Reims, France.
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Fort Pompelle near Reims, France.
A view of destruction at Fort Pompelle, a French fort near Reims built into hillside. In the background, a dark silhouette walks along the top of the hill above the fort.
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Once Fair Village of Coucy, near Reims, France.
Crumbling walls and stones that used to be buildings form a scene of total destruction in the village of Coucy, near Reims, in France.
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The Ruined Stronghold of Fort de la Malmaison, Chemin des Dames, France
1917-1918
Piles of dirt and stone that were once Fort de la Malmaison, a key element of the German defense of the ridge Chemin des Dames. The fort was destroyed by the French in a successful attempt to retake the region.
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Chemin de Dames--Barbed Wire Entaglement
A rusting, barbed wire fence that has become entangled with the undergrowth on the site of a battlefield at Chemin des Dames in France.
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Desolate Waste on Chemin des Dames Battlefield, France
A soldier stands amongst the now desolate countryside and fallen trees after the battles at Chemin des Dames in France
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Camouflaged Trenches in Chemin des Dames Sector
A lieutenant of the Allied forces stands in a trench at Chemin des Dames. Behind him, chicken wire interwoven with pine and hemlock, covers the opening of the trench, to prevent enemy planes from spotting the trench from above.
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Human Wreckage in No Man's Land, Chemin des Dames, France.
The skeleton of a British soldier lies on the site of the battle at Chemin des Dames in France
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Weird Desolation of Berry au Bac, after Four Years of Fighting, France
The destroyed countryside of Berry au Bac at the end of the war.
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"Through it all like horror, runs the red resentment of the guns." Oise, France.
French soldiers man enormous field guns from a ditch near the Oise, in France.
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"Out Where the Bombs are Bursting and the Canons Like Hell-doors Slam."
Soldiers on a battlefield, the back of the card describes the conditions of battle, but does not specify where the battle is or which army the soldiers belong to.
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The Terrible Desolation of Once Fertile Hills and Valleys, France.
Soldiers stand amongst wreckage and shattered rock in France.
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Searching the Ruins. "Somewhere in France."
French soldiers search the wreckage of a razed French village, attacked by German forces. No buildings remain, only rubble.
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French Artillery in the Village of Perthes les Hurlus.
French artillery outside Perthes village. There are horse drawn artillery pieces in the background. The final battle for this location had a French victory.
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Dug-outs and Shelters-Cantonment in the Race Course at Flirey, France
Dug-outs and shelters used during trench warfare in Flirey, France. These dug-outs were better constructed than most were during the war. Flirey villlage was destroyed during the war. It was in No Man's land for four years before American occupation...
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Mass in the Allied Trenches on the Western Front
During the war, priests of the Catholic Church held services for the soldiers. Masses were often held in dug-outs in the front line trenches. It was a solemn scene because of the reality of death these men faced.
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Alincourt, France; German Ammunition Camp Destroyed by Allied Airmen
The image depicts destruction after an an airstrike. There are dead horses, destroyed train cars, and broken wagons in the background. Alincourt was a small village in France. It was occupied for a while by the Germans until the Allies launched a...
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German Ammunition Depot, after Visit of French Airmen, Alincourt, Ardennes, France
This image depicts destruction done by French airman. There are many dead horses, broken train cards, and debris.
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Supplies Left by the Germans in Their Retreat from Soupier, Alane, France
This image depicts the supplies that the Germans left behind during their hurried retreats in the final months of the war. It also shows French soldiers taking inventory of what was left behind. There is some destruction in the background. The...
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"On all sides round a great furnace flamed" German Attack, North Compiegne, France
This photograph depicts men waiting for the signal to go "over the top" and attack from the trenches. There is smoke in the distance, as well as destroyed fields.
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Setting Up Large Searchlight in Advance Lines, Vosges Sector
In this photo, soldiers are setting up a searchlight in a trench in the woods. Searchlights were important pieces of technology because they provided visual on enemy movement much further than the eye can see.
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Sharpshooters in Protected Position near Enemy Lines
This photo depicts sharpshooters hiding in the trenches, waiting to attack. They fashioned creative hiding places, using everything from bushes to shell crates for protection. New recruits died frequently because of these sharpshooters.
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In a French Tench, Sandbag Protected, Showing Dart Bombs
Depicted in this photograph are three men, hidden in a trench and protected by sandbags. They have in their possession signal rockets and hand grenades. Signal rockets were used to call for help on the battle field. Different colors and designs...
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French Soldiers Resting in the Trenches
French soldiers lie, crowded, in a Communicating trench, waiting to relieve those on the front lines.
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Red Cross "Dog Encampment" Behind the Lines in the French Sector.
Military dogs, used for numerous purposes by the army, amble amongst their barracks in France.
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Red Cross Dog and Soldier for Whom He Got Help
A dog wearing a Red Cross collar stands beside a wounded soldier. Red Cross dogs would find wounded soldiers and lead medical and rescue teams to the site.
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The Dog in War--Reporting to First Aid Squad with Helmet of Wounded Soldier
Three medical soldiers stand in a ditch as a Red Cross dog approaches, holding in its mouth the helmet of a wounded soldier.
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Picking up the Severely Wounded from among the Dead; Battlefield Scene, France
Two French soldiers carry a wounded comrade on a stretcher across a field.
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Rendering First Aid to the Wounded in the French Trenches
Two soldiers look on as three medical personnel tend to a wounded soldier in a trench in France.
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Bringing in Wounded on French Front after Battle Ablain St. Nazaire
Soldiers surround a wounded man lying on a stretcher at a first aid camp near Albain St. Nazaire in France.
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Bringing in the Wounded "On Stretchers Stiff and Bleared with Blood"
Four wounded men lie on stretchers at a first aid station, awaiting medical attention.
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British Red Cross Ambulance in French Service, Northern France
Two French soldiers exit a Red Cross ambulance while five others stand outside it, one with a bandage around his head.
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Taking Away the Wounded in Motor Ambulance (Somme)
1916-1918
Three soldiers load a wounded man on a stretcher into a Red Cross ambulance.
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French Field Hospital--Locating Bullet With X-Ray Machine
Two army surgeons use an X-Ray to locate a bullet in a wounded soldier at a French Field Hospital.
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Ghastly Glipse of Wounded Belgians in Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium
In this photpograph is a man who is very seiously injured. He has bandages covering his face and hands. There is a nurse sitting by his side and two other wounded soldiers who look like they are in a better condition in the background. Women who...
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French Convalescents, Nicknamed "The Cripples," About to Return to the Front
In this scene there is a large gathering of men who are recovering from various wounds from the war. Some of them are standing and others are sitting. Some are eating and smoking. They are about to return to "the front" to fight once more.
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Allied Soldiers Binding up the Wounds of Their Prisoners after the Battle
This photo shows the French caring for wounds of the enemy who are prisoners of war. The soldies during WWI were known to have been able to humanely treat each other. A soldier appears to have a wounded leg that is being treated with some of the many...
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Sacrificed on Altar of German Militarism- Arrival of Dead at Military Cemetary, Villers au Bois, France
This photograph shows men pushing a wagon that is meant to carry the dead. There also lies a man who died in battle. The description on the photograph mentions that after WWI there were many fatherless children and widows.
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Internment of the Fallen Brave in the Cemetary at Villers au Bois, France
In this photograph are men gathered, including a priest, around a grave with dead men. Fallen men more often than not were put into mass graves. The region of Villers-au-Bois saw a lot of fighting during the war.
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Sanitary Work of the Battle Line- Disinfectin the Ruins with Patent Spray
This photograph shows a medical worker spraying disinfectant on the battle field. He has a red cross band on his arm. There is a lot of rubble and destruction in the background. With all the death and destruction, battle fields were breeding grounds...
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Section of Many Miles of French Field Kitchens
In this photo is a field kitchen with many men and tents. The system to get food to the men on the front was advanced and systematic, with thousands of rations having to get to the front each day.
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Making Bread for British Troop; Camp Scene, France
This photo shows the men who were responsible for cooking food for the soldies. It appears that they had just made bread, a food staple during the war.
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Provisioning an Immense Army- British Transport Wagons in France
This photograph shows wagons used to transport various supplies during the war. Everything from fod to ammunition had to be carried to the soldiers. The staff that took care of this were very organized.
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