Ruins of Ypres, 1915 Image of the ruins of Ypres, Belgium, 1915. From the personal album of Alan Brooke. Brooke was a Royal Artillery officer in World War One and in 1941 rose to become Chief of the Imperial General Staff.  

Russia, 1917.

The “Human Squirrel” who did many daring “stunts” in climbing for benefit of War Relief Funds in New York City. He is shown here at a dizzy height in Times Square  ca. 1918

Tiny cameras strapped to homing pigeons, a method found by Julius Neubronner and then used during WWI, 1909. 

A clerk processing letters & parcels enroute to men fighting at the Front (by drakegoodman)

Trench barber (by drakegoodman)

Christmas Truce

The Christmas truce was a series of widespread, unofficial ceasefires that took place along the Western Front around Christmas 1914, during World War I. Through the week leading up to Christmas, parties of German and British soldiers began to exchange seasonal greetings and songs between their trenches; on occasion, the tension was reduced to the point that individuals would walk across to talk to their opposite numbers bearing gifts. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, many soldiers from both sides – as well as, to a lesser degree, from French units – independently ventured into “no man’s land”, where they mingled, exchanging food and souvenirs. As well as joint burial ceremonies, several meetings ended in carol-singing. Troops from both sides were also friendly enough to play games of football with one another.

One of the more unusual (but still fascinating) exhibitions at Bletchley Park is all about the role pigeons have played in the First and Second World Wars. Aircrews used them as rudimentary black boxes, writing their coordinates on a message and releasing the pigeon if they had to ditch or crash land.

There was also a cull of birds-of-prey all along the south coast during World War Two to ensure the pigeons could get back safely.

Declaration of war. Austro-Hungarian government’s telegram to the government of Serbia on 28 July 1914.

First World War, aerial war. A French zeppelin/airship under attack from a German plane. 1915. (Nationaal Archief) 

Tsar Nicholas II among his troops during World War I