Scene through a shell hole

Scene through a shell hole

Wounded soldiers moving through a ravaged area, during World War I. The edges of the photograph are the wall which surrounds the shell hole. The edges of the brick are still visible. Through the triangular gap, the railway line and countryside can be seen. At the edge of the railway, collapsed masonry and debris is piled up. There is an open railway carriage in view in which soldiers with various head wounds are sitting or standing. John Warwick Brooke is thought to have taken this picture. This sort of image was both familiar and yet still startling. [Original reads: 'OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN ON THE BRITISH WESTERN FRONT. Scene through a shell hole. Wounded in a light railway.'] digital.nls.uk/74548136 Image by National Library of Scotland