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A bomb bursting over a British trenchVintage Photographs - Trenches
Updated - Saturday, 27 May, 2006

This section of the website contains archive photographs taken during, before and after the war.  Specifically this sub-section contains photos of trench scenes or trench-related photography.

Click here to read introductory notes relating to this section, including information on photograph sources.  Use the sidebar to the right to select other categories of photos available within this section.

The photos reproduced below are in thumbnail format - simply click a given photograph to view a larger copy within a separate window.

This is page one of three; click here to view the second page; click here to view the third.

Trenches at League Island, Philadelphia (CNP)

Lunch in the trenches at Fort Oglethorpe (CNP)
U.S. marines constructing a trench at Quantico (CNP) Comfortable German entrenchments on the Aisne (CNP)
Engineers learning trench construction (CNP) The Red Cross on duty in the trenches (CNP)
How to build trenches under fire (CNP) Trelliswork camouflage for a trench (CNP)
Periscope rifle in a trench on the Somme (CNP) Aviator's photograph of men filling the German trenches (CNP)
Early French trenches from 1914 (MF) Winter trenches in the Bois-le-Pretre (CNP)
Explosion of a mined trench (CPE) A hillside trench in Galicia (CPE)
Royal Scots Fusiliers entrenching through cellar walls at St Eloi (CPE) A trench periscope used by French soldiers (CPE)
Hurling a grenade from a trench (CPE) Soldiers killed in a barbed wire entanglement (CPE)
Dead of the Russian rear-guard in a shallow trench in Poland (CPE) Spoils of war from captured German trenches in Champagne (CPE)
New Austrian trench constructed while under heavy fire (CPE) A German shelter trench in Central Africa (CPE)
French trenches captured by the Germans near Verdun (CPE) Turkish trenches and artillery around Trebizond, Black Sea port (CPE)
A French connecting trench near the Meuse (CPE) A captured German trench on the Verdun front (CPE)
German trenches of Combles, captured by the French (CPE) A shell bursting on an Italian entrenchment (CPE)
Russians entrenched in Galicia (CPE) A Canadian trench on the Western Front (CPE)
A bomb bursting over a British trench (CPE) Clearing captured trenches (CNP)
Highlanders pipe themselves back from the trenches (MF) French troops preparing barbed wire coils (CPE)
Grenadiers in the French trenches (CNP) Loading a trench mortar (MF)
German troops cutting barbed wire entanglements prior to an advance (CPE) Observation post in the Champagne-Artois Battle (CNP)
Canadian soldiers going up to the first line in Winter (CNP) A Highlander as sentry at a gas post (CNP)
Digging in under fire (CNP) German observation post (CPE)
French soldiers firing over their own dead (CPE) Belgian trenches in flooded land (WW)
Mountain fighting during the Serbian's Great Retreat (WW) Communication trenches on Mt. Asolone overlooking the Brenta (WW)
Barracks on the back slopes of Mt. Asolone (WW) Italian second line barracks on the Asiago plateau (WW)
Advanced outpost on Col del Rosso, newly conquered by the Italians (WW) A low position on Col del Rosso (WW)
Italian reserve troops waiting in second line trenches on Montello line (WW) Reinforcements arriving at second line positions back of Mt. Grappa (WW)
A newly taken Austrian trench on Col del Rosso (WW) An Italian outlook on Col del Rosso (WW)
Aerial view of U.S. servicemen undergoing trench training (WW) Mess time in the trenches (WW)
U.S. Army canteen in France (WW) U.S. troops digging trenches while receiving Y.M.C.A. refreshments (WW)
Americans throwing hand grenades into the German lines (WW) Dogs in the trenches (WW)
Belgian cavalry bringing straw to sleep on in trenches (NW) British boys play-acting at trench warfare (NW)
Photo taken while shells were bursting in this Belgian trench (NW) Belgians in their rifle pits (NW)
Trench warfare - waiting for the German Army (NW) Sodding a dugout (NW)
Russian commissary officers determine soldiers' food portions (NW) The barber in the French trenches (NW)
A French outpost in advance of front-line trenches (NW) A roadblock at Belgian trenches near Ghent (NW)
French soldier reading a newspaper in a front-line trench (NW) French soldier wearing a respirator (NW)
Serbian reinforcements for a hard-pressed line (NW) Company of Serbians at Lone Tree Hill, Halinchi, near Prilip (NW)
British troops at Salonika being served the beer ration (NW) Serbians in the trenches (NW)
Corpses of French grenade throwers who died during the initial attack (NW) Soldiers digging trenches while protected against gas attacks (NW)
View through a trench periscope (NW) View through a trench periscope (NW)
A big grenade of the rocket type (NW) Germans collecting booty from a captured Russian trench (NW)
The skeleton work of an underground bomb-proof shelter (NW) A German setting a 'star light' for use at night (NW)
Officers' quarters in an underground bomb-proof dugout (NW) A busy scene in a trench dugout before Verdun (NW)
French device for breaking through wire entanglements (NW) Corner of a trench showing sandbags and steel shield defences (NW)
Remains of a trench following a curtain of fire (NW) Dismounted German Hussars hold the first line trenches (NW)
French soldiers hastily constructing a trench (NW) Scottish soldiers making barbed wire entanglements (NW)
Sleeping under a rain of shrapnel (NW) Belgian troops resting in a Liege trench (GW)
Japanese troops in the trenches (GW) Russian troops in camp (GW)
Maxim Gun squad in action at Antwerp during the German bombardment (GW) Formation of German infantry in the trenches (GW)
Belgian soldiers in the trenches at Ypres in winter (GW) British Naval Volunteer Reservists in the Antwerp trenches (GW)

This is page one of three; click here to view the second page; click here to view the third.

A respirator was a gas mask in which air was inhaled through a metal box of chemicals.

Original Material © Michael Duffy 2000-09, SafeSurf Rated