A Million Soldiers Gone

bear3741
recent  |  interesting  |  random  |  favorites  |  contacts  |  sets  |  tags:  
A Million Soldiers Gone
A Million Soldiers Gone

I composed this image while visiting a series of WW 1 Allied Army trenches in Belgian farmland now known as Flanders Fields.

As described below, war never left the Flanders Field area in Belgium throughoiut the whole of WW1. Allied and German soldiers lived, fought and died in trenches such as these, trenches that were often filled with water and mud, often leading to the terrible affliction of "trench foot," They were constructed heading in many different directions, so as to make them less susceptible to mortar fire.

Amazingly, the two armies were often as close as 20 meters, lobbing mortar shells into each others positions, and not uncommonly engaging in hand-to-hand combat with swords and bayonets and knives.

From 1914 to 1918, a million soldiers from more than 50 different countries were wounded, missing or killed in action in Flanders Fields. Entire cities and villages were destroyed, their populations scattered across Europe and beyond.

The destruction of the city of Ypres and the brutal conditions endured during the Battle of Passchendaele (Third Battle of Ypres) became worldwide symbols for the senselessness of war. Today the peaceful region still bears witness to this history through its monuments, museums, cemeteries and the countless individual stories that link it with the world.

© All Rights Reserved
Taken on: May 25, 2024
Tags: Everybody's photos tagged with Europe Europe Everybody's photos tagged with Belgium Belgium Everybody's photos tagged with FalndersFields FalndersFields more » Everybody's photos tagged with WW1 WW1 Everybody's photos tagged with Wars Wars Everybody's photos tagged with Trenches Trenches Everybody's photos tagged with History History Everybody's photos tagged with Travels Travels « less
Sets appears in:   • Flanders Fields    • Belgium    more » • Europe 2024    • Favorite Images of 2024    • History    • Walls    • Travels    • B&W Photography    « less
Groups appears in:   • Photography    • Hallowed Ground    more » • Art of Photography - The Eye of the Beholder!    • Abandoned    • Travel Photography    • Creative Photography    • Flickritis: over 87,000 waiting for a vaccine.    • BEST in B&W photography    • History is All Around Us    • Photography Gallery (3 photos/day)    • *Inspirational Travel Photos    • B+W    • Black & White Digital    • The World of Travel    • Abandoned Sites    • "Black and White Unlimited"    • B&W - The Art of Photography    • Travel and Escapades    • black, white, and gray photography    • Travelling Lens    • Travel - Around the World    • WORLD TRAVEL : Your traveling experience (50 photos@day)    • Travel Experiences (Worldwide)    • School of Digital Photography    • ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY & WORLD THROUGH SERIOUS PHOTOGRAPHERS EYES    • Travelling Pixels    • Travel Photography - Through the eyes of the world    • WWII Archaeology    • Black&white123    • * no limits, just quality photography!    « less
Camera: Panasonic DC-ZS200, f/3.3, 1/60 sec, 8.8mm, ISO 400 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Panasonic DC-ZS200
Lens: N/A
Aperture: f/3.3
Exposure Time: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Focal Length: 8.8mm
ISO: 400
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program: Program AE
Exposure Mode: Auto
Metering Mode: Multi-segment
White Balance: Auto
Gain Control: High gain up
Contrast: High
Saturation: High
Color Space: Uncalibrated
Software: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 13.3 (Macintosh)
Show full info
Stats: 1,097 views / 10 comments