Portuguese at the Instructional School

Portuguese at the Instructional School

Troops marching in formation down the curve of a short slope to meet their colleagues at the bottom. These troops are lined up in neat rows in the flat basin at the bottom of the hill. In front of the rows a wall has been built out of sandbags which splits the basin in half. There are also a few logs lying around. The soldiers seem to be wearing light-coloured uniforms and tin helmets. John Warwick Brooke is believed to have taken this photograph. Germany declared war on 9 March 1916 and Austro-Hungary followed on 15 Mar 1916 after Portugal refused to return German ships which they had seized. [Original reads: 'OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN ON THE BRITISH WESTERN FRONT. Portuguese at the Instructional School.'] digital.nls.uk/74547088 Image by National Library of Scotland