Interior of Arras Cathedral wrecked by Boche shell fire

Interior of Arras Cathedral wrecked by Boche shell fire

This photograph, probably taken by John Warwick Brooke, shows the shell-damaged interior of a roofless Arras Cathedral. Located close to the River Somme, Arras was caught up in some of the heaviest fighting on the Western Front during World War I. Since the town was under constant bombardment throughout the conflict, the 12,000 Allied troops who were stationed in Arras lived deep underground in a network of caves and tunnels, many of which were lighted by electricity. Even today, there still exist about 20 miles of stairways, passages, caverns and sewers underneath the town. Once the war was over, Arras Cathedral, the town hall and all the old houses that formed the cobbled market square were rebuilt following the original plans of design as closely as possible, and were finally restored to their former glory by the late 1920s. [Original reads: 'OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN ON THE BRITISH WESTERN FRONT. Interior of Arras Cathedral wrecked by Boche shell fire.'] digital.nls.uk/74548116 Image by National Library of Scotland