| Accession Number | P02693.021 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white, Landscape |
| Physical description | Black & white, Landscape |
| Maker |
Underwood and Underwood |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Aisne area, France. An unidentified Lieutenant standing at the entrance to an Allied trench that ...
Description
Aisne area, France. An unidentified Lieutenant standing at the entrance to an Allied trench that has been camouflaged with a `roof' of chicken wire which has sprigs of pine and hemlock attached to it. This system of camouflage was devised by the French and covered their gun positions and trench systems to make it difficult for enemy aircraft to determine the position of the French forces. A heavier wire was used along the side (right) to prevent the trenches from caving in, and the floor was made of duckboards to allow the rain to pass through and under the trench. Next to the Lieutenant is a tripod for a Hotchkiss machine gun used by the US machine gun battalion. There is a seat at rear for the gunner, along with a locking device to adjust the height of the rear leg. On the front is a locking handle used to adjust the horizontal angle and a large wheel (obscured) to elevate and lower the screw on top. This is one half of a stereo image, the full image is held at P02693.007. (Donor M. Wolfer)