Historical Warfare Photography

Black and white historical images of soldiers in trenches and during military exercises, capturing the essence of past conflicts and military history.

Photograph showing a group of British soldiers dug in to a position near Monte Cassino, Italy, in 1944. Between January and May 1944 the Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino and the nearby town were completely destroyed as the Allied Fifth Army attempted to push the occupying Nazi troops out of their strong defensive position, in the monastery. Date: 1944

Australian infantry, small box respirators at The First World war Battle of Ypres 1916

04/28/1911. The Infantry Academy. HM the King Witnessing the Exercises of the Students with Machine Guns at the Alijares Maneuver Field in Toledo.

British Commonwealth public relations, Tokyo -- U.S. Army Chief of Staff visits Commonwealth Division -- ***** of Commonwealth Division troops on the Korean front were viewed from a hillside observation trench by the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, General Lawton Collins, during his recent visit to Korea. From left: Brigadier W.G.H. Pike, Commander Royal Artillery Commonwealth Division; Major General Paul W. Kendall, Commanding General I Corps; Brigadier Thomas Daly, Commander 28 Brigade (obscured); General James Van Fleet, Commanding General Eighth U.S. Army Korea; General Mark W. Clark, Commander-in-Chief FEC; Major General A. J. H. Cassels, General Officer Commanding Commonwealth Division and General Collins. August 06, 1952.

Photograph showing a group of British soldiers dug in to a position near Monte Cassino, Italy, in 1944. Between January and May 1944 the Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino and the nearby town were completely destroyed as the Allied Fifth Army attempted to push the occupying Nazi troops out of their strong defensive position, in the monastery. Date: 1944

Twenty Riflemen -- That little notched and curved stick along which the Tommy in the foreground is squinting is the famous Bren Gun, a machine gun that the firing power of twenty riflemen. It is incomparably more efficient than the guns of the last war, and is considerably lighter. August 2, 1938.

The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli or the Battle of Çanakkale (Turkish: Çanakkale Savaşı), took place on the Gallipoli peninsula in the Ottoman Empire (now Gelibolu in modern day Turkey) between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War. A joint British and French operation was mounted to capture the Ottoman capital of Constantinople (Istanbul) and secure a sea route to Russia. The attempt failed, with heavy casualties on both sides. The campaign was considered one of the greatest victories of the Turks and was reflected on as a major failure by the Allies. The Gallipoli campaign resonated profoundly among all nations involved. In Turkey, the battle is perceived as a defining moment in the history of the Turkish peoplea final surge in the defence of the motherland as the ageing Ottoman Empire was crumbling. The struggle laid the grounds for the Turkish War of Independence and the foundation of the Republic of Tu

Anefo photo collection. Netherlands Brigade maneuvers. 2 "Mortar position Princess Irene Brigade exercises. 2" Mortier statement. August 1943. Britain

Combined Army and Air Force Manoeuvers in Malaya Photo Shows: Johore native infantry seen during the monoeuvres at Singapore. February 15, 1938. (Photo by Topical Press)

''Division Picardie; L'assaut du plateau de Touvent: Le 7 juin, le depart des zouaves de la premiere vague' 1915. From "L'Album de la Guerre 1914-1919: Volume I" L'Illustration, Paris, 1926.

Public Schools Battalion at White City 1916

World war Two: American forces near Strasbourg, France

Anefo photo collection. General curls. February 22, 1946

World War 1 - the taking of the German lines Feuillaucourt, east of Clery 1916

The British Army on the Western Front, 1914-1918

'French Attack of July 31, 1917; Progression of infantrymen, on the morning of the 31st, on the east bank of the canal, through what was once a wood, now completely razed; our men advance behind a barrage', 1917. From "L'Album de la Guerre 1914-1919, Volume 2" L'Illustration, Paris, 1924.

Germans Making A Damp AdvanceRusso-German Front -- Unmindful of those two great Russian allies, Gen. Rain and Gen. Mud, a German supply truck, accompanied by infantrymen, makes its way in a slow advance somewhere on the Russo-German front. November 1, 1941. (Photo by Acme).

United States Marines advancing under fire during the relief of Tientsin, China, during the Boxer Rebellion, 1900

'Dans la bataille; fusiliers mitrailleurs a la lisiere du bois de Hangard, le 28 avril 1918', 1918. From "L'Album de la Guerre 1914-1919, Volume 2" L'Illustration, Paris, 1924.

10/01/1914. In a German camp. Ranch Preparations. In the foreground you can see a soldier decorated with the Iron Cross on the battlefield.

11/30/1915. The War on the Western Front. Observation post Improvised by two French Officers in the hole Produced by the explosion of a mine.

Photograph showing a group of British infantry taking a break, near Monte Camino, Italy, 1943. This unit had just been involved in six days of continuous fighting, storming strongly defended German positions on Monte Camino and Monte Maggiore. Date: 1944

Italian soldiers in the walkways of Mount Podgora (Monte Calvario) during the Battle of Gorizia, Italy, World War I, from Illustrazione Italiana, Year XLIII, No 34, August 20, 1916.

A party of the 6th Brigade with material for constructing wire entanglements, during the Battle of Menin Road, Ypres - - Mandatory Photo Credit: TAHO.

Machine guns spout death from ruined church - French battalion takes over the ruined church at Mancourt, on the Somme during WWI

Detachment 101, an enigmatic Allied intelligence and special operations unit during World War II, played a pivotal role in the Burmese theater. Operating deep in the jungles of Burma, their mission was multi-faceted, encompassing guerrilla warfare, espionage, and sabotage against Japanese forces. Comprising a diverse group of individuals, from OSS agents to indigenous fighters, they effectively disrupted Japanese supply lines, gathered critical intelligence, and supported resistance movements.

Gas alert in trenches, Champagne, northern France, 1916. Artist: Unknown.

Photo collection Service for army contacts Indonesia. DLC Genie uses horses. A span horses attracts a cargo on wheels throughout the site by a group of soldiers. June 1947. Indonesia, Dutch East Indies

Vickers machine gun in the Battle of Passchendaele - September 1917

Photograph of a patrol on alert for snipers in the Old City in Jerusalem. Dated 20th Century

Red infantry on the move during the autumn manoeuvre of troops of the Kiev military district in the Odessa region of Ukrainian Soviet Republic

Red infantry on the move during the autumn manoeuvre of troops of the Kiev military district in the Odessa region of Ukrainian Soviet Republic, 1936

An advanced trench held by Dogras and an Indian Cavalry machine-gun section, 1900s. Artist: Unknown

Transportation of the injured, Allied operations in the Dardanelles, Turkey, 1915-1916. Artist: Unknown

14' 50 Calibre US Naval Gun and ammunition car, Thierville, 29 October 1918

Anefo photo collection. Queen Juliana hiking march to watchduin. Rimi-The Hague. September 27, 1948. The Hague, Kijkduin

German Losses In Russia Exceed Last War's Total - After an attack on enemy positions Red Army men found German soldiers in their trenches, beside the dead bodies of other Hitlerites, waiting for an opportunity to surrender. In this radioed picture they are seen emerging from the trenches with hands raised in surrender to their captors. August 6, 1942.

Ejército, servicio militar. Ejercicios de tiro. Campamento Sant Climent Sescebes, Girona. Años 70.

Anefo photo collection. Military Training Camp in Bloemendaal (Visit General Curls). February 25, 1946. Bloemendaal, Noord-Holland

First Picture, Soviet-Mongolians, Japs Battle : Here's the first Picture to reach the United States showing Japanese Troops in action against Soviet Mongolian Troops in the Despate Outer Mongolian border area near Lake Bor (Buir Nor) fighting, which started on May 11, has raged bitterly with estimates of numbers killed running into thousands. Large Scale air battles are described in this vicinity. June 27, 1939. (Photo by Acme Photo).

Front line command post in operation in the mountains of Korea. July 20, 1950, Korea.

Photograph of an American Soldier resting taken during the Korean War. Dated 1952

Exercises of the Sturmbatalion in Levico.

The Hundred Days Offensive, August-november 1918

Storm attack on an enemy field guard.

China Front.... Nearing Hankow... A certain Japanese unit is seen as marching on toward Hankow, crossing on the Central Mt. Belt, near Hankow. September 25, 1938. (Photo by The Domei News Photos Service).

Photograph showing a unit of Canadian infantry of the Allied Eighth Army changing position, in Italy, during the Second World War, 1944. Date: 1944

Second World War. Front pictures. Soviet Union. Group of relatives of the German Wehrmacht in grassy hills

The Second Boer War, 1899-1902 British infantry on the move.

United States: c. 1918 Colonel William Hayward's 15th New York Infantry Regiment of African American soldiers takes firing practice somewhere in the United States.

Tarjeta postal. Guerra de Marruecos. Campaña del Rif. El general Sanjurjo observando posiciones en Atlanten. Año 1923.

Royal Navy trainees at the Eastern Warfare School at Brockenhurst, Hampshire, where they learn jungle tactics for the Pacific War, 2 February 1945. Trainees in a wooded area with their faces painted with camouflage paint, wearing American fatigue caps and gaiters and Carrying American 'Tommy' guns, during training at the Eastern Warfare School at Brockenhurst, Hampshire where they learn jungle tactics for the Pacific War.

German soldiers surrendering to the Russians in Staraya, Russia, April, 1942. From The War in Pictures Third Year

Photograph of Captain Emil Kapaun helping another soldier carry an exhausted troop off the battlefield early in the Korean War. Dated 1952

World War One was to have a devastating impact on Russia. When World War One started in August 1914, Russia responded by patriotically rallying around Nicholas II. Military disasters at the Masurian Lakes and Tannenburg greatly weakened the Russian Army in the initial phases of the war. The growing influence of Gregory Rasputin over the Romanovs did a great deal to damage the royal family and by the end of the spring of 1917, the Romanovs, who had ruled Russia for just over 300 years, were no longer in charge of a Russia that had been taken over by Kerensky and the Provisional Government. By the end of 1917, the Bolsheviks led by Lenin had taken power in the major cities of Russia and introduced communist rule in those areas it controlled. The transition in Russia over the space of four years was remarkable - the fall of an autocracy and the establishment of the worlds first communist government.

Indian bombers holding an important trench near Neuve Chapelle, France, World War I, c1914-c1918. Artist: Realistic Travels Publishers

Troops on coastal patrol crossing a river. The men ride horses into water and when horses begin to swim the men leap off and hand on to saddle. Charges exploded in water to accustom the animals to raid noises. September 27, 1943. (Photo by H. Rodda).

Storming A Ridge In Desert War - British infantry advances on the double toward ridge in the Libyan desert war that saw rout of Rommel's men. Tank in background is Axis vehicle, disabled in their counter-attack that preceded this British charge. November 25, 1942. (Photo by AP Wirephoto).

Handgranatenangriff a.d.Isonzofront .

New U.S. Cavalry Advance in Italy: A U.S. cavalry detachment of the Allied Fifth Army passes through a shell-torn Italian town. The mounted men are known as Provisional Mounted Reconnaissance troops and were organized early in the Allied campaign in Italy. They have proved effective in destroying German machine gun nests and artillery emplacements inaccessible to motorized forces. January 10, 1943. (Photo by U.S. Office of War Information Picture).

Africans (led by a British Officer) use a light artillery- piece against the Germans at Jabassi. 1915

Anefo photo collection. Military Training Camp in Bloemendaal (Visit General Curls). February 25, 1946. Bloemendaal, Noord-Holland

''Dans les Hauts-de-Meuse; une heure apres l'assaut: une tranchee allemande enlevee a la baionnette', 1915. From "L'Album de la Guerre 1914-1919: Volume I" L'Illustration, Paris, 1926.

The Hundred Days Offensive, August-november 1918

Second World War. Front pictures. Soviet Union. Group of relatives German Wehrmacht with Diningware

Indo China Unrest -- A French ***** goes through a village which the Vietnamese had burned during their retreat. This Company, pushing down the road form Hanoi to Haiphong, linked up with other French Forces fighting up the road Northwest from Haiphong, January 7, this opening a main supply route. February 5, 1947. (Photo by Associated Press Photo).

12/31/1914. The Austro-German collaboration. On the Right, German Soldiers, On the Left, Austrian Soldiers, on a road in the Eastern Theater of War - photo Grohs.

Russians Crack German Strongpoint Near Lwow -- Supported by a tank, at the left, Soviet infantrymen charge a German strongpoint in the Lwow area of the first Ukrainian front, according to the Moscow caption accompanying this photo, which was received in New York by Radio from Moscow, on July 21. July 21, 1944. (Photo by Associated Press Radiophoto).

Arab-Jew riots, Palestine, Israel, 1920

''Aux armees Britanniques; Le nouveau casque anglais', 1916. From "L'Album de la Guerre 1914-1919, Volume I" L'Illustration, Paris, 1924.

World War One was to have a devastating impact on Russia. When World War One started in August 1914, Russia responded by patriotically rallying around Nicholas II. Military disasters at the Masurian Lakes and Tannenburg greatly weakened the Russian Army in the initial phases of the war. The growing influence of Gregory Rasputin over the Romanovs did a great deal to damage the royal family and by the end of the spring of 1917, the Romanovs, who had ruled Russia for just over 300 years, were no longer in charge of a Russia that had been taken over by Kerensky and the Provisional Government. By the end of 1917, the Bolsheviks led by Lenin had taken power in the major cities of Russia and introduced communist rule in those areas it controlled. The transition in Russia over the space of four years was remarkable - the fall of an autocracy and the establishment of the worlds first communist government.

Ceremonies Anniversaires Debarquement Sud France. Photographs of Marshall Plan Programs, Exhibits, and Personnel

Photograph of Indian infantrymen training for gas attacks. Dated 1915.

07/26/1936. Republican Forces Making fire in Alto del León.

The US Army on the Western Front 1917-1918 75 mm anti-aircraft gun on camouflaged motor-lorry mounting, of Battery 'B', 1st Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Second Division, in action, Montreuil.

The Riot Squad Goes Into Action In Cyprus -- British troops wearing their gas-masks and equipped with batons and wire mesh shields go into action against rioting students near Nicosia. Despite the State of Emergency rioting and bomb-throwing makes the task of the British troops in Cyprus one demanding the utmost patience and control. December 16, 1955. (Photo by Sports & General Press Agency Ltd.)

Going is Tough in China's Flooded Areas - The Yanetze River's flood waters have given serious setback to Japanese advances on Hankow. Here ***** troops advancing in mud and water knee deep near ***** of Matang, in an effort to remove an obstruction ***** back the Japanese naval vessels. July 18, 1938. (Photo by Acme Newspictures Inc.).

Japanese soldiers in Manchuria, 1916

Transporting the wounded, Chemin des Dames, northern France, c1914-c1918. Artist: Unknown.

Anefo photo collection. 35 Repro's topical film truth knows no limits. November 3, 1949

The British Army in Pre-1914 Period Officers of one of the Scottish mounted regiments during regimental maneuvers. They are probably servicemen of the Lothians and Berwickshire Yeomanry.

Argylls moving back from Kunuri area. December 12, 1950.

dead bodies of german soldiers killed at the village of Bras et la Meuse, France December 1916. World War I

The British Advance Towards Venlo - The first infantry to cross the canal near Nederweert. January 22, 1945. (Photo by British Newspaper Pool Photograph).

first contingent of New American Expeditionary Force 1942 World War two

French artillery gunners at Neuville st vast; during world war one 1915

The Arms Of A Fallen Commander -- Private Ivanov asks and is given permission to carry out reconnaissance in honour of dead commander. He listens carefully to his instructions. July 31, 1943. (Photo by S. Friedland).

Woerner Eugen (herr) Collection Observing from the trenches with a prismatic periscope. (Siegfried Line, May-August 1917).

Machine Gun Department, Lawoczne. .

American medics rendering first aid to troops in initial landing on Utah Beach, Les Dunes de Madeleine, Normandy, France, U.S. Army Signal Corps, June 6, 1944

German infantry awaiting the attack signal, Poland, World War I, from L'Illustrazione Italiana, Year XLI, No 48, November 29, 1914.

The Battle of Passchendaele, July-november 1917

guerra, trincea, 1915 1918

Yugoslavian infantry. 1940

Yugoslavian Infantry. 1940

World War 1 - Wounded German soldiers captured by French Forces leave a reinforced field hospital before transfer to a detention camp, 1916.

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